Mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my Skynyrd tee.

I’m bringing kerchiefs back.

N.B. This will not coincide with my bringing back Colonial children’s games.

[Mine’s from World Wide Sportsman on Islamorada… earned and worn with pride from the slaughter of many innocent bait shrimp.]

I was loading up my person to head out into 8 stupid degrees this morning and couldn’t look at another of my beat scarves. Rob’s been wearing this around his neck for the past few days—when I saw it discarded on the bathroom floor, I slipped it over my bean and everything fell into place.

Hello, nasty:

[Cover it on up—yeh don’t want a red neck, son.]

There’s something about it that works; a Skynyrd listenin’/fly fishin’/shoeshinin’ love child of sweat mopping neck flair.

See, every year for the past 15+ years, my godmother Trish has cleverly included bandanas with our Christmas presents—from World Wide Sportsman in the Florida Keys, a crucial pit stop for grouper fingers and tackle, our car parked out in the lot with the Mako in tow—and our surplus is staggering, though well-loved. I grew up fishing in FL, so the bandana’s purpose has since shifted from sweat n’ fish scale functionality to… custom beer glass turtlenecks. Stay tuned as the Northeast continues to suck the soul from my shivering corpse…

Anyway. Some groovy kerchiefs on etsy for your purchasing pleasure:

[Clockwise: Peacock scarf, $8, blue floral, $4.50; pink and black, $4.50; green and blue, $5.50; orange bandana, $7.50; leopard, $7.50; all vintage.]

The brilliance is how it tones anything down—and brings this shy 7th grader out in whatever you’re wearing. Of course, that has to be a desirable quality.

I’ll always be a shy 7th grader, so… it works. Bonefish, 3 o’clock.

-Carey