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Dining outdoors at neighborhood restaurants (or just in the backyard) has provided a welcome reprieve from months of isolation and being cooped up indoors. So what do you do as the weather turns frosty?
If you’re trying to keep eating out (tip generously, please!) or to keep dining outdoors at home, you don’t have to shiver while you do it. Yes, you should consider fire pits and outdoor heaters. But there’s one small, portable thing you can do to keep warm: the Big Scarf.
I don't mean the kind that can fold up tidily and be tucked in a coat pocket. I mean the is that a blanket? kind of scarf, the kind you can wrap all the way around your shoulders twice, leaving just enough freedom of movement that your hands can reach your fork.
Hopefully a really massive, really cozy scarf will mean many more months of outdoor dining at restaurants, having a friend over to eat (from a distance) in the backyard, or meeting up in the park for the distanced-toast of a hot cocktail. Plus, unlike the other dining necessities of winter—stock pots, InstantPots, thermoses—this one is just for you, and a little more fun to shop for.
The Cashmere Wraps
A 100 percent cashmere wrap is pricey, but you will never need to replace it. Just don't forget these care steps: Wash delicately by hand, lay flat to dry, and fold in tissue during the summer months.
The Woolen Scarf
Cozy nubby wool will keep you warm. Actually, it'll keep you cool too. Wool reacts to your body temperature thanks to the air pockets held between the natural crimp of the fibers, meaning, technically, all wool is smart wool.
The Notched-Neck Shawl
If the idea of having to mummify yourself with a wrap isn't appealing, try one of these. They each have a notch for your head, so they can drape around you while keeping your arms free.
The Throws
I used to run a small textile studio that made the most beautiful cashmere shawls, wraps, and throws. The difference between those three? A few measly inches. A throw can absolutely be a shawl if you wish (especially if the weather is cold enough).
