The internal battle rages on as to whether multi-purpose garments are frightfully clever or just plain hellish. Coats with detatchable sleeves that somehow connect with the waist to make a belt with a thousands of poppers to help you do so. The American Apparel scarf dress video that puzzled my friend to no end when she questioned whether ANY of those 15 ways of wearing the damn thing looks good at all. Shoes that double up as purses. Is trying to do too much any good if it can't do the one thing it's supposed to do well? I think I'll continue being skeptical until I'm smacked with a dress that unzips and suddenly turns into the door to Narnia.
This Alpha 60 pleated accordion scarf isn't meant to be multi-purpose per se but as dear Melbournian Kat of Style Lines discovered a while back, it is superb for creating a multitude of shapes without doing much to it given that it posesses a razor sharp accordian pleat in a light fabric that seems to have a life of its own. You sort of prod at it and it snakes around in a different way, tempting me to give it some sort of a pet name. Sharpie?
Going back to the multi-purpose question though. I guess, if you haven't paid a humongous sum for some wonder garment that purports to do a multitude of things, getting ONE good way of wearing it out of the damn thing isn't really the end of the world. The scarf didn't come with an instruction booklet so I'm not exactly going to be waving my fist at them and reporting this to Watchdog. That it does do a few things is a Brucie bonus. I used a puritanical outfit consisting of a vintage dress dotted with flattened rosettes and a Margiela skirt for initial experimentation… not everything is a raging success but like I said, no Watchdog complaints necessary…
Wow, that’s so cool!!!!
Niki
it looks almost as if its made out of paper –looks like alot of fun to play around with!
i love how it looks wrapped and tucked in around your neck..
Wow, this is such a wicked piece of clothing! I love what you did with it…I can’t even decided how I like it best!
hehe loving the experiments – the last one is uber cute! 😀 xxxc
Loved this scarf when I saw it intially via style lines/her caught by street stylers, I forget which.
So glad to see it played with!
Hope there’s more to come, love your experimenting.
What an amazing scarf.
I need one…
….Now! LOL!
Susie, you are the multi-purpose master!
I’ve followed for awhile, love your blog.
but nothing has struck so true and made me
lol like that narnia joke.
brilliant!
<3
it's a fine line between function and and styling.
i like when you wear it as a scarf – you look fierce! lol.
xox.
The Voguette
Is there anything you can’t wear? Brilliant! x
That’s AWESOME! I hail anything that multitasks & has metamorphic qualities. You’ve styled it exceptionally well.
Super fabulous piece!
Wonderful!
I do find so many multi-purpose clothes rather ugly and silly…people just need to get creative (like you) with pieces they already have!
Ooh! I’ve been admiring this scarf for some time, but the different ways you’ve come up with to wear it is brilliant! 🙂 Love it!
xx
Susie your creativity puts me to shame! xx
hee hee, someone bought me the AA scarf and I still can’t figure out what the hell to do with it other than wear it as a scarf/capelet. I’m determined to figure out how to wear it as a dress and not look like I’m in a toga. You’ve done well here, but the pleats make this super versatile.
I love this, so many ways to wear it, and it came out so much better than that ridiculous AA circle scarf.
xxx,
Tiffany
PS, I have a feeling that Brandon is probably looking at this right now and swooning over the pleats!
OMG, that is soooo cool!
awesome, it’s look like a paper, genius
and so many ways to wear it, loveeee it so much
In the third photo you make it look its best!
Lucy =)
http://thefashionsetter.blogspot.com
Now that would have confused the hell out of me. LOL. You make it look so cool.
I have the same scarf in a light dove grey. I’ve replaced the tie with a thicker white ribbon and stitched a thinner black ribbon onto the top. I generally wear it as a sort of modified elizabethan neck ruffle or a little cape or the pleated armour cross at the front.
You’re definitely working it Susie!
you are so creative susie
you are such an inspiration
oh susie you’re so fine you’re so fine you blow my mind hey susie!
you are so creative susie
you are such an inspiration
oh susie you’re so fine you’re so fine you blow my mind hey susie!
I really like the scarf. But I can not imagine having shoes the double up as purses. That’s way to multifunctional for me ;o)
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
I love the last edition. haha. That would be so fun to play dress up with….
Suitable puritan based with a twist – such delightful pleating on show. Almost cavalier!
I love this scarf!!!! Every single way you wore it was amazing. So versatile!
http://fashionroadkill-halifax.blogspot.com
I do love that Margiela skirt and the pleated scarf reminds me of Issey Miyake, but in a stiffer more structured sort of way! I bought something at Pleats Please last year on sale; it’s a top that is supposed to transform into a dozen other things, and I’ve been so lazy that I’ve only worn it once and in the most conventional way. I need to be a little more inventive!
wow! excellent. The whole look is great, no matter which way you styled it.
That’s what I love about extra long scarves, they can be styles in so many ways. I love the ways you used it. 😀
The versatile that you wore was amazing.
xx
Bruna
Wow! After reading this blog for a couple years, it’s obvious that you are able to make pieces of clothing, shoes, etc. versatile. I have the AA scarf, and I must agree that many ways of wearing it, for example the skirt held up by a belt and overlapped (prob makes no sense) looks really awkward. I’m going to keep experimenting with it, but perhaps you should get one and experiment with it – I have no doubt that you could make it work!
Pleats, please! What a great way to add texture and volume…I’m partial to your nearly-hooded Jacobean neckruff or Peplum ways-of-wear…
great job with the experimentation…looks like something to get lots of mileage from!
that’s pretty. it works. i think multi-purpose garments have to really really work to be good. 1 function has to slide into the other perfectly. if it’s just the hit of the idea of how clever it is, then it won’t last of course. anyway, that’s my theory. i think real multi-purpose objects are pretty rare and really brilliant when they do come around.
The outfit is amazing enough without the scarf, but with it, it’s just magical. For me the problem with multi-purpose garments is that I find one way to wear it I absolutely love and then I can never find it again! Not only that, but often multi-purpose garments are sort of boring and basic and while you can wear it 8 different ways only 1 way is really all that nice.
Oh my, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!! Too Fabulous!
i love your face!
COOL!!! 🙂
I love the versatility of that!
I have the same scarf. Your friend, (and mine) Phil Oh gave it to me as I had wanted it forever. Thanks Phil. So when/if you come to Melb, Kat, you and me have to wear the same scarf to dumplings, which I’m sure she has told you all about. I only so far have worn it the hanging way, but I do love how you have styled it around the waist.
this scarf is absolutely amazing!! i’m at a loss for words. i love every single way you’ve worn it, especially the collars.