My favourite (travel) accessory

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

If you pay real close attention to my photos, wardrobe, and travel accessories, you’ll notice that when I travel, there’s one thing that I NEVER leave home without.  I’ll give you three guesses as to what it is:

In Taipei, Taiwan
At breakfast in York, England
At Lake Atitlan in Guatemala

Have you figured it out yet?  I am a scarf fanatic. I ADORE wrapping fabrics around my neck, at once adding a pop of colour and touch of class.

I never leave home without one of my trusty scarves, my favourite travel accessories. They are long. Short. Some have three sides and some have four. I have woolly pashminas, fine silk kerchiefs, and slippery rabbit fur mufflers.  My scarves are mostly bright solid colours, though I count my white and pink leopard scarf (a gift from Liebling’s mom last Christmas) amongst my faves.

Dining with a new friend in Krakow, Poland
On the subway with my love in Seoul, South Korea
Out to see a musical in London

I am such a scarf fanatic that I have over 30 scarves in all. I am a simple gal: my makeup is basic, I wear no jewelry apart from stud earrings,  and my clothes are relatively plain… And so I love jazzing up an outfit with a funky scarf.

In Cornwall, England last weekend
Strolling along the River Seine in Paris
At Niagara Falls, Canada
In front of the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE

My scarves are  the best travel accessories. When I travel, I tend to pack REALLLLLLY light.  I only bring the basics: solid tees, dark pairs of jeans, and simple footwear….

  However, a punchy, playful scarf  has the power to change my outfit completely.  If I’m going away on a weekend trip, I may only bring one pair of pants… But two scarves.  They are a look changer and space saver!  Peep how I rocked pink and blue scarves in Brussels a few months back: 

At the Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium
And the next day, once again at the Grand Place in Brussels

I started wearing scarves wayyyyyyyy back in 2005 when I  moved to France.  I bought my first, a brown polyester affair, at a market in Italy for 2 Euro and wore it to the DEATH.  Frayed and embarrassingly tattered, it finally made it into the bin a couple of years later, but my penchant for scarves wore on.  Now, over 30 scarves later, my neck feels bare without one.

What are your favourite travel accessories?

P.S.: On a side note, I just looked at all the pictures again and realized that I have a different hairstyle in like every single one. I guess variety is the spice of life… 😉 LOL

In Guanajuato, Mexico
In Seoul, South Korea

SHARING IS CARING

81 Comments

  • I can’t wait to start wearing scarves again – it’s just too warm here!

    • I said the exact same thing when I lived in Hong Kong and it was too hot most of the time to wear anything other than t-shirts! Of course, now that I live in cold England, I wish I was still in hot Hong Kong… At least I get to wear my scarves!

  • I have always admired your scarves!!! In fact I always look forward to your new posts to see which one you’ll be wearing haha! I used to be obsessed with them as well when I had short hair and have collected beautiful ones from all over the world. Now that I have long hair, it seems to get caught in it, so I’ve stopped wearing them as much.

    • I wrote this post with you in mind, chica!! You had commented on one of my old posts about how I always wore scarves… LOL! Short hair or long, I love them, although now that I have hair extensions I do find my scarf gets tangled…

  • What an amazing collection! I agree, scarves totally transform a look. I love playing around with my jewellery, often accessorizing a simple dress with huge earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. It’s even better if I buy them on the road!!

    • As I said on Twitter, you REALLY know how to rock the chunky jewelry! I find that I look stupid with jewelry on, which is why I don’t tend to wear it. But you are so pretty and have such a great sense of style that you pull it off effortlessly!

    • Me, too! I have a couple of black cardigans, but they are started to get really scrubby; must get new ones.

  • Scarves totally! I love my red velvet one from Danier Leather but my abso fav is my brown & cream leopard print scarf. So easy to add a punch of colour or just a different look via a scarf. The trick in the summer months is the wear them without getting too hot. I took a page out of the Hermès scarf tying booklet and have tied rosettes, belts, head wraps. C’est vraiment très chic!

    My other must-have travel item is sunglasses. I have 3 that I totally love: a black pair, a brown pair, and a silver pair. I always have at least one with me wherever I go. Gotta protect my eyes!

    PS: loving the new blog set up. Good on ya!

    • I noticed one of your shades… Very chic indeed! I admit that my sunglasses game is WEAK… I always buy cheapies that I eventually scratch or lose. As for scarves, I’m actually on the lookout for some lighter, smaller ones and need to invest some time in figuring out how to tie them. Where did you get your Hermes booklet from?

      • I actually got it from their website. Go to http://www.hermes.com, select France from the country list at left. Then, click “visitez le magasin en ligne” in the middle of the page. From the new menu at the top, select “femme” et après “carres” (from the menu at left). A sub-menu below “carres” will appear and from there select “carré 90cm”. After this, go to the right of the page where, below the little colour samples you will see “jouez avec votre carré Hermès”. Click that link and a little pop-up window should appear. Et maintenant tu peux télécharger la guide pdf. Voilà, c’est tout. Amuse-toi bien!

        As for the sunglasses, it’s probably ‘cuz I think I have a little light sensitivity. Plus, I like protecting the skin around my eyes too so…

  • Girl, look at you and those scarves. Cute enough! It’s a light and versatile travel accessory. I love scarves, but I don’t wear them near as much as you. My fave travel accessory is a versatile bag and comfy shoes.

    • I need to step up my bag game as well- I have the same tired purse I bring around with me! Comfy shoes are also a must for me though.

  • I always love the way scarves look, but I’ve never worn one (well except wool scarves outside during the winter). Scarves really seem to make a look. I might have to go out and buy one for my next trip.

    • You should! If you’re not a scarf wearer I would say to start off with a small, solid coloured one, at least until you get used to the idea!

  • Ha! You DO wear a lot of scarves – I’ve just really taken notice!! I love scarves as well, as you can imagine my collection grew massively while I lived in India….

    I’d like to say my favourite travel accessory is my camera but I feel like that’s a cop out. So I’ll say it’s my MEX Shoulder Bag. It’s just the right size for the things you carry around on a day outing (compact camera, notepad, small guide book, a few pens, wallet,) – even space for a small bottle of water and some other stuff. It’s also durable – I’ve been traveling with it for…5 years and the zippers and everything still work perfectly! Best $20 I’ve spent travel-wise!

  • First, scarves are awesome. Second, I love Belgium. That is all.

  • I’m totally with you! Scarves are not only one of my favorite things to pack, but a favorite souvenir to bring home! I love throwing on a scarf with a plain t-shirt and when someone compliments it, dropping the name of the place I got it.

  • For me its always a black cardigan! I love to wear it when I get slightly chilly in addition to a colorful scarf. Your scarfs are always so bright and chic!

    • I have a black cardigan that is one of my wardrobe staples! I’m always cold so it’s important that I have a versatile wrap at all times.

  • Scarves are my signature accessory! I love wearing and collecting them. You look FAB! Keep these wonderful posts coming.

  • Earrings. I hate being without earrings. Studs, hoops, big, simple, whatever. I have to have my earrings and at least one bracelet (or more 🙂 I love to buy new ones wherever I go. I love scarves too, but I don’t always wear one.

    • When I was younger I used to wear lots of different types of earrings but over the years I have gotten boring. I stick to studs now, but always envy those with funky ear jewelry!

  • I love your latest hairstyle! I am slowly but surely getting more into scarves…I don’t have 30 yet, but 5 is a good start, right? Plus they’re perfect for protecting your throat on germy, dry plane rides.

    • Thanks!! I really need to do a post on my ever-changing hair… 🙂 I ended up getting hair extensions because I’ve now decided that I’m going to grow my hair out and taking care of my afro was getting a bit exhausting LOL!

  • You’re genius: a scarf does make a good travel accessory! Everyone says “pack simple clothes but accessorize with different jewelry.” but I am like you– I don’t wear a lot of jewelry. Accessorizing with different scarves is a brilliant idea. I’m going to take your tip and do this on my next trip! Great post :).

    PS. All the photos are awesome, but I really love the last one with your travel guide in Seoul. A-door-bell!

    • I actually used to get a lot of rashes from allergic reactions necklaces and the like, so scarves are a great compromise. Plus they are really lightweight! I hate fussing with earrings and bracelets, so scarves are my way of sprucing up my outfit easily!! And thanks for the compliment on that last pic- I think I look a bit dorky but it’s a funny pic nonetheless 🙂

  • That’s so funny, from the title I KNEW it was going to be a scarf. You rock them well and that last picture of you in Seoul is really cute! Hm, travel accessory I’m not too sure. I like scarves but don’t wear them much outside of winter, I am getting into them more now. Maybe earrings…I think I better work on it.

    • haha I am so predictable, no??? I think that wearing scarves is really suited to chilly London, where it’ll be slighty warm and dry in the morning and then cold and damp in the afternoon!

  • you just rocked the peace sign… two points!

    i have a pink scarf that my mom gave me but i never seem to pull off well – want it? it is from a market in Italy.

  • Very cute and you certainly rock those scarves lady! I see a new business venture for you…

    I just never feel that I pull it off… maybe I need to learn. It certainly brightens up an outfit!

  • Okay I am French so maybe that’s why I can’t go out without a scarf and oooh I don’t even want to start counting how many are hiding in the closet. I really like wearing very colorful, mostly with African prints, prints prints prints everywhere, it spices up a black total. In the last few years I lived in warm countries but guess what I was still wearing it ahahahah yes they had this thing about air conditionning that I can’t stand so here I was wearing my scarves indoors and even sweater sometimes. Love that picture of you in Guatemala!

  • This is too funny, I knew the answer before reading on….lol! I’m new to your site but I also travel and my #2 accessory(#1 is my camera) is ALWAYS a scarf! They are versatile, can be worn as headwraps, shoulder covers, neck warmers, the list goes on! I’ve acquired many scarves since inheriting many from my late grandmother and buying a ton while living in Europe. Great post!

    http://www.willworkfortips.blogspot.com

  • Couldn’t agree more! I often rave about bringing a scarf with you on any trip! They are so versatile! I must admit I am a tad bit jealous about the fact you have 30! I sold all of mine except 2 before I hit the road and have managed to not buy another one in 14 months of nomadic life!

  • I don’t know how I came across your blog but you are absolutely fabulous! I read many blogs but yours speaks to me clearly. So much fun reading about someone else who has the itchy travel feet and is also teaching abroad and loving it. Keep posting, rocking the scarves and enjoying life. You have inspired me to start taking pics of myself in the places that I’ve traveled to.

  • I like your Seoul hairstyle best!

    My favorite travel accessory is also a scarf now. I bought a couple of the local style scarves they wear in Cambodia and I heart them. They are unique in my opinion because of their look. They definitely are functional too; they keep the neck cool and are great for wiping sweat off the forehead in humid SE Asia.

    • Oooh! Would love to see a picture of you rocking a scarf, Fidel! So stylish!

  • Oh, am I ever with you on the scarves! And your color choices look great on you! I have always bought scarves but didn’t actually start wearing them regularly and comfortably until I bought a super cheap gray and white striped number from Daiso for about 2,000 won. Still have it, still wear it to death. And all the scarves I’ve collected since then have worked as body wraps, impromptu skirts and tops, and beach towels. Excellent travel accessory, indeed!

    • I love re-purposing my scarves- I need to do it more often!

  • Could you talk more about the different ways in which you wear scarves? Not only to the colors seem to vary so much but the styles too. Ex: How do you tie it up in such beautiful head scarfs/headbands? And what are the various different ways in which you tie it? I have several scarves as I became a fanatic years ago, but only knew how to wear them one way so I grew bored and stopped wearing them, so they all just sit in my closet and I would love to wear them again!

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