Kamma Gudmand-Høyer’s famous Tekstilgalleriet shawl shop is right next to the Bo-Bi Bar, a favorite among Copenhagen locals and a perfect place to park your partner while you shop.

There’s nothing like a European vacation to make an American gal feel poorly dressed. It just doesn’t matter what we wear. Our European sisters always look more sophisticated and elegant, even in the most simple and understated outfits. And when they throw those amazing scarves around their necks, it’s as if they turn the cobblestone streets into fashion runways.

How do they do it? For this, we go to…The Scarf Whisperer.

Kamma Gudmand-Høyer is the proprietor of Tekstilgalleriet, the only shop in Copenhagen devoted strictly to scarves and shawls. She carries more than 2,000 of them, neatly and colorfully stacked and displayed on the numerous shelves in her small, happy shop. Tourists and locals alike stream in all day to seek her help in selecting among the wools, silks and blends, and the solids, plaids, florals, polka dots and unmistakably Danish patterns.

If scarves were the new shoes, Kamma would be Carrie Bradshaw’s beloved Manolo.

With 2,000 choices lining Kamma’s shelves, you’ll find the scarf you’re looking for – and a few you weren’t!

Kamma was swooped into the scarf business quite by demand. She and her husband, Karsten, moved from a large house into a smaller Copenhagen home about eight years ago. A weaver of traditional Danish costumes, Kamma needed a place to set up her large loom. So she rented the little storefront at Klarenboderne 12 to use as her workshop.

“People would come in and ask, ‘Why are you not weaving scarves and shawls?’” Kamma recalls. “I didn’t know anything about fashion, but I knew I couldn’t weave them for an affordable price. I finally bought seven Pashmina shawls from a lady who was married to an Indian man, and that was my start. I sold them immediately. It was amazing for me that people would buy the Pashminas for 2000 kroner each ($400). So I bought a little more and a little more.”
 
It wasn’t long before Kamma removed the loom and converted the entire space into a sort of scarf candy shop. She now travels to India, Pakistan and Nepal several times a year in search of new blends and patterns. She never even considered visiting these countries until she became an overnight shawl sensation. She also carries pieces from Danish designers, including a few of her own.

So what’s the best way to start a basic scarf collection?

Kamma says to begin with a beautiful Pashmina in one of her 36 colors – like the Danish blue shown at the bottom of the photo to the right. Then add one or two fun silky scarves that are easy to wear in any weather, like the darker blue and red ones on top.

For fashion and warmth, Kamma shows us this heavier reversible shawl (left).

And for a touch of Danish design, Kamma recommends this light wool number (below).

So now that we have a few scarves to choose from, what’s the secret for making them look so great and not like a big wad of fabric under our chins? Kamma graciously offers these step-by-step instructions, below.

The Scarf Whisperer’s Five Easy Scarf-Tying Steps

Making a scarf look great isn’t nearly as hard as it looks. Here’s a little slide show featuring the Kamma way:

Step 1: Arrange the scarf around your neck, with the right end longer than the left.

Step 2: Wrap the long right end loosely around your neck.

Step 3: Pull the short left side forward to make a little passageway of sorts…

Step 4: And thread the right end through.

Step 5: Voila! A beautifully arranged scarf, The Scarf Whisperer’s way!

OK, great. We’ve got the scarves, and we’ve got the instructions. But what about the confidence required to pull off this new look? What is it about European women and their simple sophistication?

For that, The Scarf Whisperer shares this secret: “You just must…wear them.”

Geeze, even the answers European women give are simple and sophisticated. Wrap ’em up!

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