Neckerchiefs?

[JLibourel]

I note that in manouche's thread about silk scarves, Label King suggested using one as a neckerchief as a one possibility.

I have always thought of the neckerchief as primarily cowboy attire. Although cotton bandana is usually regarded as the the classic cowboy neckerchief, the eminent gunwriter Jack O'Connor mentioned that silk was popular among the Arizona cowpunchers of his youth in the pre-WWI era.

I know some hikers like to use them to protect the backs of their necks against the sun. I have worn one in this fashion during shooting courses on occasion.

Some men like to wear them tucked into their shirts ascot style. I bought some cotton neckerchiefs summer before last and tried them in this fashion. They seemed rather bulky and comparatively inelegant compared to a "true" ascot.

Anyway, do any of you wear neckerchiefs other than as strictly outdoor (cowboy/hiker) attire? If so, in what manner?

 

[Manton]

Required attire in my cooking school. Not that this is what you had in mind. But, no joke, if you don't have yours that day, go home. They won't let you in the kitchen.

 

[3orangewhips]

Also great for helping Scoob and the gang solve mysteries.

 

[Full Canvas]

The only images in my mind are my Cub Scouts' days.

Other than that, I recall the big red or blue cotton ones decorated with white paisley-like designs. Those seem to be more of a utilitarian staple for laborers than a fashion accessory even in today's world. With our San Diego climate, I see the immigrant day laborers gathered on street corners wearing them for simple neck protection and to wipe away perspiration.

Oh, and for some reason, I seem to see a fair number of Golden Retrievers wearing neckerchiefs in the beach areas.

___

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by Manton

Required attire in my cooking school. Not that this is what you had in mind. But, no joke, if you don't have yours that day, go home. They won't let you in the kitchen.

What is the reason for that? I assume it is for some sanitary or perhaps safety reason, but for the moment I'm at a loss to figure out what.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

What is the reason for that? I assume it is for some sanitary or perhaps safety reason, but for the moment I'm at a loss to figure out what.

I think it is to impose a military-style conformity. Seriously.

Part of it may be for the heat, etc., but their total anality about the uniform, and the complex hierarchy of hats, is all about status, I suspect.

 

[Virginia Dandy]

The late and much-missed Cecil B. "Pearly" Gates was the proprietor of Creery Shirts here in Richmond, Va.

He occasionally made neckerchief sized squares from shirting remnants. I think they were 18" or maybe 21" squares - regardless, certainly larger than handkerchiefs.

On Saturdays, he would usually wear one folded along the diagonal center line and then down into a 1.5" or so strip - then worn inside an open collar and tied with a simple square knot at the front.

I thought it was a great look - much more casual than wearing a tie but much more finished than a glimpse of t-shirt or (shudder) tufts of chest hair.

I have a whole stack of them in all colors and patterns at home waiting for the day when I can pull it off half as well as Pearly did.

 

[JLibourel]

I am mildly curious how a neckerchief rolled to about 1.5-inches in diameter and knotted in the front could conceal chest hair.

I was never that aware until entering the forum culture that the sight of a wee bit of chest hair peeking over an open shirt collar could be that heinous a sartorial sin or that offensive to so many. In my day, chest hair was something young lads coveted as a mark of virility. Now it seems a lot of young fellows depilate themselves, and the girls find chest hair repulsive. Changing times.

 

[Star]

I think the ultimate look would be a person wearing a Neckerchief, an Ascot, a corset, and of course a monacle. Maybe even a fez at the same time on the head.

 

[LabelKing]

I feel neckerchiefs offer a more casual solution for the bare neck. They do however, have a kind of '70s connotation to them.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Originally Posted by Star

I think the ultimate look would be a person wearing a Neckerchief, an Ascot, a corset, and of course a monacle. Maybe even a fez at the same time on the head.

Don't forget the turn-back cuffs.