DIY Fashion Trend #2: Extreme Parisian Neck Scarf

Any Audrey Hepburn fanatic worth her weight in ballerina flats knows the power of a wispy little scarf tied around the neck, conjuring up images of Parisian cafes, Roman cobblestones, and good clean European fun.

But even a wispy scarf can grow up fast. In the recent Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2014 show, Mr. Jacobs took the typically girlish scarf to a whole new level by tying around the neck not once, but two or three times. He wrapped it around the models' hair, creating a sort of suffocation-chic effect, and strayed away from predictably sheer fabrics and flowery patterns by using scarves in glossy black. The effect was a little bit haute straightjacket, a little bit Headless Horseman, and a lotta Paris (or at least my delusional idealized version of Paris). This newly extreme neck scarf easily walks the line between classically feminine and bondage-chic.

I used a skinny black tie that I stole from my dad, wrapped it three times around my neck, and knotted it in the front. I wore my hair up, because while the models looked cool with their hair knotted around their necks, I couldn't deal with the thought in this current Chicago heat wave. Mr. Jacobs paired his with a lot of white and v-necks, so I threw on a vintage off-white button down...unbuttoned a bit. And then I wore it to an imaginary business meeting.

The takeaway: I love love love this style. It's a departure from the expected and I adore how it looks chic and vaguely masochistic at the same time. (Next time, I'm pairing it with sequins, like Mr. Jacobs did for several of his looks.) It's definitely an accessory for cooler fall days, as the whole faux-turtleneck thing will make you feel like you're suffocating in the heat of late summer. And it elongates your neck. Forget about Spring 2014, wear this once the weather cools.

(Read DIY Fashion Trend # 1 here.)