31 Oct Silk scarves can be the public, stealth version of an adult blankie
A few years ago, Wired magazine counted the average number of editing cuts in movies from the 1950s, and then compared to them to the number of cuts in movies from the 1990s and on. The average number of cuts in the 1950s films was 12 per minute. For contemporary films, the number was 38.
Sounds like the perfect metaphor for the lives we lead now. Everything is paced faster. We no longer even try to separate out work and life, we just try to balance them. We’re all scrambling to keep up with our lives in the real world and our lives online. We spend too much time commuting and not enough time on hobbies and friends.
Maybe we could use a blankie, that little textile scrap that comforts kids. No, wait. Don’t go. Hear me out.
Kids use blankies for reassurance, a familiar, graspable, soft object that can accompany them in the vast world they’re trying to figure out. Comforting and unchanging, a blankie has a familiar scent and feel and is held close to the body, like a parent’s hand when the parent can’t be there.
Silk scarves can be the public, stealth version of an adult blankie. Scarves softly cocoon the vulnerable skin of the neck and offer a light extra layer between the wearer and the world. Silk absorbs fragrance beautifully. By collecting the wearer’s personal scent and gently releasing it, scarves subtly extend the body into its environment, supporting the wearer’s identity. The soft tactility of a silk scarf is also perfect when a reflecting mind needs something for fingers to meditatively stroke. We leave blankies behind in our transition to adulthood, but any of us can appreciate the feel of a silk scarf at any age.
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