The scarf has always been a women’s favourite winter accessory, but mufflers, men’s equivalent to the scarf, have always been a classic menswear piece with a strong masculine history behind them. A long time ago, the military used mufflers to differentiate soldiers from what battalions and regiments they belonged to!
Men often tend to believe that mufflers are only for women and that mufflers for men don’t look ‘manly’ enough. While that’s not true, there are several styles of mufflers you could wear. But the way you wear them is crucial.
Let’s march toward the winter season by hopping onto this winter fashion trend, that makes for a gorgeous accessory in your wardrobe.
But before we jump to that, it’s important to know how the muffler style offers protection during the winter season, apart from being a fashion accessory:
- The primary purpose of this accessory is that it offers protection during the chilly weather, especially your neck, by keeping it warm. It keeps you warm and safe from the cold winds and chills that come your way.
- It complements the outfit. If styled well, the knots and colours accentuate your winter fashion game.
- It offers you comfort as they are made from materials like cotton and silk. Since the material is light, it doesn’t add any extra weight.
- Wearing a muffler can increase your body's circulation by 65 per cent.
- If you have a stiff neck or are suffering from neck pain, you should consider wearing a muffler. It helps decrease the stress on your tight neck muscles, thereby reducing the pain.
Here are five cool and stylish ways to style your mufflers this winter:
1. A simple drape
One of the most effortless ways to style a muffler is to simply drape it around your neck. In this style, you don't tie the muffler at all, but it’s a great way to add a dash of colour to your overcoat and draw attention to your face. A muffler, when draped around the neck, makes for the best winter style statement and is best suited for cool weather.
Pro Tip: Drape a brown muffler over your neck while wearing a cream or beige overcoat for a classy winter look. It’s an ideal semi-formal look you can walk around in through the cold months.
2. Around the neck
In this style, you don't tie the muffler, but it provides more warmth around the neck than the drape style mentioned above, and can be worn in colder weather. Start by draping the scarf around your neck, making one end longer than the other. Take the long end of the scarf and bring it around your neck and you’re done. You don’t need to tie a knot.
3. Overhand knot
This style is very simple to tie, looks clean and functional, and provides good protection to the neck in cool weather. Drape the scarf around your neck, making one end longer than the other. Take the long end of the muffler, cross it over the short end, and then bring it under and through the opening near your neck to tie.
After you tie the knot, pull on both ends of the muffler to tighten it until you are satisfied with the look.
4. Reverse scarf drape
This style is great to wear in colder weather. Again, you don't tie the muffler, but it provides a lot of protection to the neck. Drape the muffler over your neck, making sure that both ends are of equal length.
Take one end of the scarf and bring it across your neck and over the opposite shoulder. Then, do the same with the other side.
5. Fake knot
This style may seem complicated but it’s great for when you are in the snow. More importantly, it makes you look sharp with either a casual jacket or a formal overcoat.
Drape the scarf around your neck, making one end longer than the other. Take the long end of the muffler and bring it behind and around itself to form a loop, then take the end down and through the loop.
Grab the other end of the muffler and bring it down and through the loop as well to tie the knot. Work the knot up to your neck by gently pulling on each end of the muffler while sliding the knot up.
Mufflers for men are indeed a go-to and trendy fashion accessory but in case you are confused about how you can style these mufflers, there are a few celeb-inspired winter trends you can copy and get inspired by.
Outfits men should pair their mufflers with:
1. Blazer
Men can wear a muffler with any type of clothing, but it’s more effective when paired with a blazer or other formal wear attire. The fake knot style will pair well with this blazer look. there may be several blazer styles in every man's wardrobe, but this look will be perfect for many.
2. Coat
A coat or a jacket plus a men’s muffler is the OG combination, and a practical look, for the winter season.
Coats have a tailored, military-inspired style so they can be complemented by keeping the muffler look simple and neat. A folded muffler is another classic look that can be experimented with.
3. Jacket
The jacket look works well for a long muffler, as more fabric can be hung down the jacket. Tie the muffler with a cross-over knot and wear it over a leather jacket for a trendy look.
Alternatively, leave the muffler untied over the jacket. This will give an uber-cool and casual look. You can also hang the muffler over the back of the neck and allow the ends to hang down in the front. This makes the regular muffler style look like a shawl style, and helps add another layer to your winter outfit.
4. Leather pants
Wearing leather pants is a stylish way to add punk and glamour to any outfit, especially if you are wearing them during winter. So let’s take a moment to add this edgy fashion outfit to your wardrobe. Pairing a muffler with a pair of leather pants will add that extra ounce of glam to your winter outfit. And, the best styles to wear faux leather pants are for this winter season, so you're in luck!
Mufflers for men could also be worn in a long or short style. Many different patterns are available to create a unique look that works best for you.
For a formal appearance, try a patterned muffler paired with a dress or suit. For a more casual winter lookbook, try a short muffler with jeans.