5 ways to wear a tartan scarf this season

Royal Stewart, 100% lambswool, styled five ways.

A good tartan scarf earns its keep. One length of Royal Stewart or Black Watch will happily see you from the school run to a Highland walk to Christmas dinner — you just need to know a few ways to tie it. Here are the five we reach for most.

1. 01The classic drapeFold in half, drape around the neck, pull the loose ends through the fold. Works with everything from a wool coat to a plain jumper.
2. 02The belted wrapWrap twice around the neck over a coat and cinch with your coat belt for a Highland-cold-morning look that stays put.
3. 03The shoulder capeletFold into a triangle and pin at one shoulder — an easy way to add tartan to a dress without it reading as a "scarf".
4. 04The loose single loopOne pass around the neck, ends left long and uneven. Casual, undone, good with denim and tweed alike.
5. 05The bag scarfTie it to a bag handle instead of your neck — a small way to carry a tartan through summer, too.

The tartan doesn't have to match your outfit. It just has to be the warmest thing in the room.

Which tartan to start with

Royal Stewart is the confident, do-anything red. Black Watch is quieter and pairs with almost any colour of coat. If you're buying your first, start there everything else in the wardrobe tends to work around it, rather than the other way round.