A spring devoted to scarves × shirts. Bring MANTERO into your styling wisely.

When spring comes with flowers blooming in every color, we naturally want to bring bright colors and patterns into our fashion too. And yet, those of us who insist on choosing good things and wearing them for a long time may hesitate to jump on trendy colors and patterns. To keep wearing something for years, versatility matters just as much—rather than rushing in, we'd rather take our time and enjoy seasonal style thoughtfully.

So this time, we're focusing on "a shirt that mixes and matches well" and "a scarf that adds color." Each piece can be enjoyed in different ways—worn simply on its own, or tied onto a bag—offering a wide range of styling variations. We'll also show you how to tie a scarf, so if you're a beginner looking to try scarves for the first time this spring, let's explore together.

Why is shirt × scarf recommended?

Scarves can feel like a high hurdle to some, carrying an image of being something only stylish people wear. But this time, let's flip that thinking. We want to focus on how a scarf can actually be the very thing that makes you look stylish. In fact, a scarf is an accessory best suited for those who tend to choose calm, subdued colors in their everyday outfits.

Scarf: MANTERO Silk Crepe Satin Scarf (70×70) CONVERSATIONAL OPTIC／MANTERO

Top: Cotton Broadcloth Slip-On Blouse BLACK ／FACTORY

Bottom: Long Swing Skirt CLAY RED ／O'Neil of Dublin

Sandals: Leather Sandals W01610 NERO／Nuovo Nicar

We added a scarf to FACTORY's calm black shirt. The Cotton Broadcloth Slip-On Blouse has design details around the waist, letting this single piece create a defined, well-balanced silhouette all on its own.

The length is slightly short, with slits on both sides, designed to be worn cleanly without tucking it in. What especially stands out are the cord and belt loops at the waist. At first glance the design looks simple, but this clever detail lets you cinch the waist or change the silhouette around the torso, so you can enjoy varying how you wear it.

The material is a densely woven cotton broadcloth that pairs beautifully with luxurious scarves like satin or silk. It's characterized by a smooth, soft texture and a natural sheen that gives the fabric itself an air of elegance. Its pleasantly lightweight feel is another reason it works so well with a scarf. It's light enough to layer over inner wear in autumn and winter without feeling bulky, so even adding a scarf around the neck won't compromise its comfortable, easy-to-wear feel when you're out and about.

Every piece from FACTORY is "unaffected by trends yet comfortable to wear" and "simple, yet a little unique"—each one truly one of a kind. Based on design patterns created at a design atelier in Tokyo, the garments are made at FACTORY's own factory in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture. Their dedication goes beyond cutting and sewing—they even handle the "dyeing" of products and raw materials at an attached dyeing factory. This is a manufacturing style that carries through even the very atmosphere of Ashikaga, a region with a long history of skilled textile production.

What we paired with this Cotton Broadcloth Slip-On Blouse is the MANTERO Silk Crepe Satin Scarf (70×70). Against the calm black of the shirt, the green and red at the neckline stand out beautifully, adding a touch of vibrancy. A solid-colored shirt is already highly versatile on its own, but adding a scarf brightens the area around the face by a full degree, changing the overall impression and giving the look a more elevated sense of style.

This scarf comes in a 70cm size—not too large, not too small. The MANTERO Silk Crepe Satin Scarf is made from 100% silk (a gentle, natural material with excellent moisture absorption and release), and its crepe satin fabric has a smooth, cool-to-the-touch feel, making it a piece you can wear around your neck even as protection against sun exposure.

MANTERO is one of Italy's oldest tie and scarf makers, with a history spanning more than 100 years. It holds an archive of scarves from Paris and Milan maison brand collections, and its silk-dyeing techniques rank among the best in the world. The fact that many fashion designers visit MANTERO's factory to study its history speaks to a value so high it feels almost like a museum. While silkscreen printing typically allows for around 12 colors, MANTERO's technology can handle up to 36—and its strength lies not only in this technical capability but also in finishing the reverse side so beautifully that it hardly looks like a "back" at all. When unfolded, the beauty of the colors is almost like viewing a work of art.

MANTERO's scarves are produced through an integrated process—from thread to fabric to finished product—with visual inspection at every stage to ensure thorough quality control, all within an environment so clean it's hard to believe it's a textile factory. This is the kind of striking, original design that captivates people all over the world.

Another reason to incorporate scarves into your everyday wardrobe is that they make choosing an outfit much easier. When heading out for a meal with someone special, or when you want to dress up a bit more than for everyday shopping, many of us have had the experience of brainstorming outfit ideas one after another, only to end up adding too much or, conversely, ending up with something that feels flat. When you're stuck, we recommend starting by choosing a single scarf.

When you're not sure what to do, relying on a "three-color outfit" is one option. A three-color outfit means limiting the colors you wear to three or fewer, which makes it easy to pull together a stylish look—and you can decide on your colors by taking cues from the single scarf you've chosen. The MANTERO Silk Twill Scarf (70×70) ORANGE features a beige base with orange fish motifs, accented by light green around the edges. Made using the abundant water resources of Lake Como near Milan, Italy, this scarf is crafted from high-quality 100% silk with a beautiful sheen and luster—a piece that captures nature's blessings and rich coloring in a truly eye-catching way. This time, we styled an outfit around beige and white, drawing from this scarf.

Scarf: MANTERO Silk Twill Scarf (70×70) ORANGE ／MANTERO

Top: Unisex Linen Embroidered Shirt WHITE／Vlas Blomme

Skirt: TRINA Linen Gathered Skirt／SETTO

When you decide on the color first, it becomes easier to pick out clothes from what you already own, letting you enjoy fashion with a bit less pressure. Being able to enjoy dressing up without overthinking it is one of the appeals of a scarf.

Shirt collars come in various shapes—the standard collar, band collar, and stand collar, to name a few—but there's no rule that says a scarf only works with a particular type. Depending on how you tie it, a scarf can be paired with any shirt. For example, Vlas Blomme's Unisex Linen Embroidered Shirt WHITE is a collared shirt featuring beautiful embroidery around the neckline.

This gorgeous, necklace-like embroidery is created by Indian artisans using advanced Indian embroidery techniques. These artisans learn intricate embroidery skills from a young age and are said to maintain their delicate craft through careful hand care. With its eye-catching, meticulous dot-like design, this embroidered shirt looks lovely worn on its own, or with just a peek of the collar showing beneath a jacket or cardigan.

The light, breathable feel of linen is perfect for spring and summer. The fabric's slightly relaxed texture, rather than being too crisp, gives it a refined yet casual look that works well with a wide range of outfits.

Scarf: MANTERO Silk Twill Scarf (70×70) 2AVIO ／MANTERO

Top: Unisex Linen Embroidered Shirt WHITE／Vlas Blomme

Pants: Cotton Linen PARACHUTE Pants／SETTO

Beyond simply tying it after unbuttoning the shirt collar, a collared shirt paired with a scarf can also be styled by threading it under the collar and tying it in a loop, much like a necktie or ribbon. Adding an accent at the neckline instantly brings more flair and completely changes the impression a shirt gives, which might just be the chance to bring a shirt that's been languishing in your closet back into rotation.

Scarf: MANTERO Silk Twill Scarf (90×90) LIGHT BLUE ／MANTERO

Top: Band Collar Shirt／Yarmo

Shoes: Tassel Loafer Black／DIEGO BELLINI

This outfit pairs a 90cm scarf with a band collar shirt from Yarmo. Because a band collar shirt keeps the neckline clean and simple, it lends itself well to wrapping a larger scarf neatly—one of its charms.

The band collar shirt from Yarmo is a piece that combines practicality with relaxed comfort for days off, something only possible thanks to the brand's heritage as a traditional British workwear label. Made from a crisp, refreshing cotton fabric, it's thin and lightweight, making it a shirt you can even wear as a light layer in place of a jacket during cooler weather.

With its classic long-tail design accented by a playful touch from the large pocket, this shirt offers the relaxed comfort typical of a workwear brand and looks great worn on its own—but adding a scarf instantly elevates it with a touch of elegance.

The 90cm size is a larger scarf that lets you enjoy a variety of tying arrangements. It's a generously sized piece that can also be worn like a stole—handy for the tricky temperature swings of spring or as protection against air conditioning in the height of summer. What's distinctive about every MANTERO scarf is the playful design sense that blends classic patterns with modern elements. Though the pattern may look bold at first glance when fully spread out, it takes on many different expressions depending on how you fold or tie it. Changing the way you tie it lets the floral pattern peek through here and there, creating an even more elegant impression.

Pairing with Outerwear

Scarf: MANTERO Silk Scarf (46×46)／MANTERO

Coat: Garage Coat BEIGE／NUOVA MAX CONF

Top: Le minor Border Short Sleeve／Le minor

Pants: 10oz Denim Marine Pants／Le minor

Shoes: Pointed Espadrille Pumps TIERRA／gaimo

The French marine style, so often associated with scarves, is also the classic approach when coordinating with a scarf. Choosing a smaller scarf keeps things from feeling bulky when worn with a spring coat, making it a perfect pairing. Thanks to the simplicity of this garage coat made by a workwear maker, the good qualities of each item really stand out.

Because the garage coat was made as workwear, it's a coat you can trust to move easily in. It has a light wearing feel and a beautifully slim, streamlined silhouette, but with a center vent at the hem that makes it easy to walk in and to crouch down smoothly, so it's a coat you can wear every day without worry. True to its working-clothes roots, it has pockets on the left chest and on both sides of the hips, which are handy when out and about. A decorative belt on the back shows the attention paid to detail as well.

This 46cm silk scarf, with its lovely tulip and polka dot pattern rendered in vivid colors, is just the thing to serve as an accent piece. Its distinctive wavy edge gives it a truly charming look once tied. The design changes pattern at the center, so this scarf shows a completely different expression depending on how you fold it, and because it's compact, a single knot is enough to keep it neatly in place when worn around the neck. Attaching it to a bag also changes the mood nicely and looks charming.

Try Pairing It with a Dress

Scarf: MANTERO Silk Crepe Satin Scarf (70×70) BLUE／MANTERO

Dress: Wide Dress (A) BLACK／INDIVIDUALIZED SHIRTS

Bottoms: Linen Easy Pants (Petticoat Pants) NAVY／ZUTTO

Sandals: Leather Strap Sandals Bornholm Chocolate／duckfeet

A dress is often worn alone or layered as a complete look in itself, so everyday wear can start to feel a bit repetitive—but adding a scarf gives it a fresh feeling. This wide dress is a convenient shirt dress that offers plenty of styling options once you have it. You can wear it like a light jacket, or use a belt to blouse the waist for a more feminine look—there's plenty of room for arrangement even worn alone. The height of the collar and the position of the buttons have been carefully calculated to look beautiful and refined, and it's remarkable that even the look of the neckline when the top button is undone has been thought through.

Adding a scarf also boosts the dress's appeal as a shirt. The wide body and relaxed drop shoulders create a silhouette that helps cover the figure, and since the scarf draws the eye up toward the neckline, this styling seems essential for anyone who wants to dress up without worrying about their body shape.

A Scarf That Changes Impression Depending on How You Tie It

Finally, let us introduce some easy ways to arrange a scarf. First, let's start with the basic way to fold a scarf. The basic fold is called the bias fold, and folding it this way not only gives the ends a beautiful shape like the point of a necktie, but also makes it easier to tie and helps the shape hold once tied. It's a fold that shows off the pattern nicely too, so please give it a try.

・Basic Bias Fold

The most familiar and common way to tie a scarf is simply to tie the bias-folded scarf in a plain knot at the front of the neck. Since it works regardless of size, it's one of the easiest arrangements to do without overthinking, and shifting the knot off-center to the left or right changes the mood and gives the impression of wearing the scarf with more flair.

Another easy arrangement is to wrap the bias-folded scarf around the neck once, just like a muffler. Unlike a muffler or a stole, it has less bulk, so it gives a neat look even in spring and summer. This style is best done with a larger scarf—here we tried it with a 90×90 size.

Here's one more easy arrangement that lets you enjoy the scarf's drape: the triangle drape wrap. It's an extremely simple method—just fold the unfolded scarf into a triangle, wrap it around the neck, and tie it in a plain knot—but because it shows off the scarf's pattern broadly, it gives a bright impression around the neckline. This arrangement doesn't depend on the scarf's size; as long as it's long enough to reach the neck, whether large or small, it can be tied this way, so give it a try whenever you're unsure what to do.

Beyond the styles introduced here, a scarf can be wrapped around a bag or used to finish off a hairstyle—coming in handy in all sorts of arrangements throughout the year, and revealing more of its charm the longer you wear it. Whether you add one to your everyday outfits for a different kind of style, or collect several patterns to mix and match, a scarf is something we'd love for you to try, especially if you tend to reach for versatile plain tops. And if you find one you love, it also makes a wonderful gift.