Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, where people finally pull out the barbecues, put the coats away, and maybe even road trip to the beach.  It’s also one of the biggest travel weekends of the year. If you are headed out of town, there are lots of essentials to pack with you - tank tops, cardigans, a favorite pair of HABITUAL jeans, a maxi dress, platform sandals, sunglasses, and much more. But one item we won’t travel without is something that can be a part of any look. It’s a lightweight space saver and our very own “Linus blanket”: a quality silk scarf. In addition to wearing it the old fashioned way, a silk scarf can pull off double duty in a pinch. We have worn it as:

a head band
an eye mask (on the plane or for quick naps in the car)
a top (tie it in back to create a simple tube top underneath a cardigan)
a bracelet
a belt
a purse (there’s a great video with instructions for making a purse out of a scarf here)
a sarong

While it doesn’t have to be Hermes, look for a square-shaped, quality scarf made of real silk, which will last longer and will always be appropriate.  Bloomingdale’s has a great selection. We have used one scarf for the past 12 years on nearly every warm weather vacation, from campgrounds to the most cosmopolitan of cities.