Add a scarf and you're laughing

Take six women. Take six scarves. And transform classic, workaday clothes into individual outfits with personality and a touch of bohemia. While fashion goes on full steam ahead, most women take from it only what they want, and strive for classical timelessness; a swathe of a scarf to lift a sombre black jacket or demure dress is often just the thing.

The British art school system turns out not only fashion designers who are in demand the world over, but also textile designers with a wonderful sense of colour and texture. For many, the scarf, that simplest of accessories, is their only source of expression. Which explains the prices of the scarves shown here - these are miniature works of art, hand-painted or printed, and hand-finished using the finest materials.

The women in our pictures all like to wear dark colours, and are interested in style rather than fashion. They have all also mastered the art of wearing a scarf. Our stylist asked each of them to put on their scarf as they would if dressing themselves. There is a knack to wearing a scarf - it should be wrapped or tied purposefully, and not left hanging as an afterthought. As Christa Worthington writes in the Chic Simple Scarves book, "a sense of helplessness tends to overcome the average woman when faced with tying a scarf. If it's well tied, the scarf relaxes the look of what it's worn with. The key is not to fight the fluidity of fabric but to let it flow."

And for once, this is an accessory that is useful. As well as making a flattering frame for the face and adding colour for women who avoid both bright colours and pastels, a scarf keeps your neck warm. But beware - once you start to wear and collect them, you won't be able to stop.

Nora Doerfel wears

silk/linen hand-woven scarf, £95, by Wallace and Sewell, from Harrods, Knightsbridge, London SW1; Space NK, Thomas Neal's, Covent Garden, WC2; Whistles, 12/14 St Christopher's Place, W1; wool crpe jacket, £649, and knee skirt £299, both by Jean Muir,

Liberty, Regent Street, W1; Olive Walton, 137 Alcester Road,

Moseley, Birmingham

Anna Jones wears

pleated silk scarf, £45, by Georgina Von Etzdorf, 50 Burlington Arcade, W1, 0171-409 7789; black ruched dress, £165, by Ghost, from Liberty, as before

Anna Morel wears

hand-painted silk scarf, £188, by Fiona Pitkin, from Space NK, Thomas Neal's, Covent Garden, WC2; Ally Capellino, 95 Wardour Street, W1; wool jacket, £300, by John Rocha, from Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, SW1; Autograph, 12 Ethel Street, Birmingham; Kafka, 41 Union Terrace, Aberdeen

Angela Quaintrell wears

silk devor shawl, £420, by Charles and Patricia Lester, from Liberty, as before; linen overshirt, £309, by Flyte Ostell, from Liberty; Joseph, 26 Sloane Street, SW1; Browns,

23-27 South Molton Street, W1; Eva, 12 High Street, Ipswich; trousers, £360, by Issey Miyake, 290 Brompton Road, SW3; Pollyanna, The Gallery, 61-65 Glassford Street, Glasgow; Liberty

Juliet Warkentin wears

devor scarf by Sharon Ting, £195, from Liberty, as before, and branches; linen shirt, £245, by Shirin Guild, from Liberty

Valerie Mendes wears

silver/metal Lurex weave silver pleated scarf, £99, by Calver & Wilson, from Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, SW1; Harrods, Knightsbridge, SW1; Sisters, Newcastle- upon-Tyne; charcoal pinstripe kimono jacket, £279, by Shirin Guild, from Liberty as before

Photographer: Andrew Lamb

Stylist: Belinda Morris

Hair: Peter Forrester for Daniel Galvin

Make-up: Kim Crocker for Mary Quant and Kaz Simler at Joy Goodman

Nora Doerfel, dressmaking tutor at the Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute, an adult education centre

"I've always worn a lot of scarves, from small to large, and I have an awfully long neck, so I like something to fill in the empty space - and a touch of colour looks good if you are wearing something that would otherwise be boring."

Anna Jones, BBC television producer

"A scarf is an interesting accessory to cheer clothes up. I wear a lot of bland colours, like greys and blacks, and a scarf can add colour. They also make you feel sophisticated, which I'm not."

Anna Morel, director of Bryan Morel PR

"When I started travelling a lot about 10 years ago, to Egypt and Mexico, I started collecting scarves for their colour and texture. Now I'm known for them - I wear them every day as a cost-effective way of transforming an outfit and updating it. I wear a lot of dark colours, and scarves are a way of brightening them to avoid looking boring. I used to wear a lot of jewellery - now it's scarves. At home, I even throw them over the furniture."

Angela Quaintrell, fashion buyer for Liberty

"I like to make a scarf statement. I wear simple, understated clothes, scarves for different textures. But I do not have hundreds. And I am not a Herms person. I like them different and unusual."

Juliet Warkentin, editor, Drapers Record

"My mother had a huge collection that she had been amassing for years. As a kid, I always thought they were wonderful, magical, very special occasions when she bought a new one. They were always part of her look - and now mine. I find they dress something up - make a simple outfit more formal or elegant - and are also a comfort zone."

Valerie Mendes, curator of textiles and dress, Victoria & Albert Museum

"I collect for my job so not for myself, but I like scarves because they provide an instant look. There is a sensuousness about scarves that is quite comforting. I wear a lot of black and so a scarf can lift it. Scarves can be little works of art in themselves, although I buy them for practical reasons - you can cover up bits you don't like, such as a wrinkly neck."