Why Does Marty Stuart Wear So Many Scarves?
You would think there would be much more important business to attend to in the lives of country music fans than to worry about what clothing accessories Marty Stuart chooses to adorn his wardrobe with, but you may not find a another topic of more intrigue or discussion amongst some country listeners than why Marty decides to indulge in neck finery as part of his public fashion.
No, I’ve not discussed the matter with Marty himself. In fact I would be fairly embarrassed to bring up the subject matter to him even if the opportunity presented itself. Why? Because despite all of the questions and consternation about Marty Stuart’s fluffy adornments, the answer to his scarf fetish should be quite obvious to all students of traditional country music, and Marty Stuart listeners especially.
Oh but that hasn’t stopped the questions, the concerns, and sometimes even the accusations concerning Marty’s scarves, and what they might be hiding, literally or figuratively. Did he injure his neck? Is he concealing some big scar? Perhaps he tried to hang himself and is trying to disguise the embarrassing evidence (one of the most ridiculous accusations I’ve seen). Or perhaps he’s a dandy, you know, one of those types of dandies, despite having married Johnny Cash’s daughter once, and currently being married to Country Music Hall of Famer Connie Smith.
One of the biggest misnomers about Marty’s neck wear is that his scarves are an essential accoutrement for him to be able to leave the house, when it reality you can find many recent promotional photos of Marty with a naked neck. And lo and behold, there’s no grotesque scars, embarrassing birthmarks, or big hairy moles. Some have said Marty Stuart wears scarves to conceal a a neckline that has aged faster than the rest of him, but this certainly doesn’t appear to be the case in his scarf-free pictures. If Marty was a man concerned with concealing his age, why doesn’t he dye his hair?
Furthermore, if you look at promotional photos of Marty from earlier in his career, before the sands of age started carving their cruel lines into his collar, he also wore shirts that many times concealed his neckline. It just sort of seems to be his thing.
Okay so now we know Marty has nothing to hide, then what is he trying to say with his scarves? This calls for a simple country music history lesson.
From the very beginning of country music, flashy fashion has been at the very heart of the presentation. From The Maddox Brothers & Rose in the late 30’s who were known as “The Most Colorful Hillbilly Band” from their flashy Western costumes, to legendary designers who became icons all their own through their country finery like Nudie Cohn and Manuel Couture, all the way up to today, the fashion of country music has been a way for performers to show off their personality on stage. Someone who is at the forefront of preserving all of this textile history in country music is Marty Stuart, who owns a huge collection of country music memorabilia, including Nudie suits and other such costumes from acts like The Maddox Brothers & Rose, Ray Price’s Cherokee Cowboys, Porter Wagoner, Johnny Cash, and many others.
As country music and Nashville was throwing these vintage styles away throughout the 80’s and 90’s, similar to how they were discarding the legacy of the music itself, Marty Stuart was dashing around town, saving these stylistic expressions from dumpsters and thrift shops, eventually making him one of the most forefront students of country music show clothing that’s still living.
Now, how does the scarf come in? It’s simple. The scarf was a very early standard of country & western fashion.
Marty Stuart started playing country music professionally at the ripe age of 14 in Lester Flatt’s bluegrass band. As can be seen in the picture below, he was wearing fluttery neck wear even then, like most everyone was in Flatt’s band.
One of the very earliest appearances of Marty Stuart was on The Porter Wagoner Show playing with Lester Flatt. Porter Wagoner regularly wore scarves, cocked to the side similar to how Marty sometimes does. Many country and western music artists from that era wore scarves, and the examples are endless.
But where did the scarf tradition in country music come from?
It was established as part of Western garb by Hollywood, including The Singing Cowboy Gene Autry, who helped establish country music as a commercial enterprise as much as anyone.
Another Hollywood cowboy was Roy Rogers, and lo and behold, it’s hard to find a picture of Roy without his scarf.
Okay, but where does this tradition come from? It’s simple, the actual cowboys who roamed the West through dusty plains and parched deserts, sometimes on long cattle drives where the cows would stir up incredible dust, all wore handkerchiefs and scarves to protect their necks from sunburn where the cowboy hat wouldn’t shade, and to pull over their mouths and noses to keep the dust out of their lungs. Here’s Billy the Kid wearing a scarf.
So that’s that. Marty Stuart wears scarves because it is a link to country music’s and America’s vibrant Western history that Marty has worked so hard in his life to both preserve and carry on. No conspiracy theories, no gruesome scars, nothing to hide or show, just Marty being Marty, finding ways to express his appreciation for the traditions of country music in his own colorful way.
READ: 10 Badass Marty Stuart Moments
February 3, 2015 @ 9:41 am
Because he’s Marty Stuart, the field general of traditional country music, and he does what the hell he wants.
January 13, 2018 @ 9:29 pm
Article talks around the issue and never answers the question:
Why did Marty Stuart start wearing scarves? Which is sometime
after the Johnny Cash Memorial Service where he (with open collar)
& Superlatives perform ‘Rock Island Line’. Earlier scarfs were smaller
while later they cover entire neck all the way up to his chinny chin chin.
Yes it’s his choice, only natural that inquiring mimes wanna know.
February 3, 2015 @ 10:23 am
When someone asks that question online, I always want to reply that it’s because Connie likes giving him hickies. I don’t care how untrue it is.
I’ll probably just send them this article if someone asks in the future.
February 3, 2015 @ 10:25 am
Already asked and answered?
(See Comment #21)
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/10-badass-marty-stuart-moments
February 3, 2015 @ 10:44 am
I’m not sure of the exact episode number, but on The Marty Stuart Show one evening, he went back to Philadelphia, Mississippi, where he grew up. He toured the town and let the viewers see his childhood home, and had a literal backyard session with his family. During that episode, he told a story of an encounter with a gypsy/hobo type character on a train. He was explaining how trains influenced his life and sound, and even style. He said the gypsy wore scarves and had wild hair just like how Marty wears it now… He said that gypsy made a mark on him and he copied his style as much as he could when he became famous. It could be a tall tale, but it seemed legit to me at the time…
February 3, 2015 @ 11:05 am
Thank you.
February 3, 2015 @ 11:12 am
Well, it sure beats having to set his guitar down to dig a handkerchief out of his pocket if he has to blow his nose onstage.
February 3, 2015 @ 11:58 am
Great article!
February 3, 2015 @ 12:04 pm
The age of his neck.
February 3, 2015 @ 12:08 pm
Very interesting history lesson. I would have thought it was a reference to Elvis Presley and his scarfs. But I see now it goes back much farther. Thanks Trig!
February 3, 2015 @ 12:25 pm
According to Don Maddox of The Maddox Brothers & Rose, it was a show early in Presley’s career where Presley opened for The Maddox Brothers and saw their colorful stage clothes, and that is what inspired him to start wearing similar Western garb, including the scarfs. According to Don, it was really hot at that show so they had taken their coats off and left them backstage. When they came off stage, Elvis was parading around in one of them and saying, “Someday I’m going to have clothes like this.”
February 3, 2015 @ 7:12 pm
Marty wears his scarf like a woman would…and that’s fine. It’s great that you guys are loyal, but the guy is hiding his neck, nothing more.
February 3, 2015 @ 7:29 pm
oo very cool
February 3, 2015 @ 12:16 pm
And they look great!!!
February 3, 2015 @ 12:27 pm
I know the guy who taught Marty Stuart how to play guitar. I was his student for years.
February 3, 2015 @ 1:44 pm
It is interesting to read about the scarf’s history in country music. I have always associated scarves with Northeastern culture.
February 3, 2015 @ 2:02 pm
Bloody Bill Anderson and Quantrill’s men, personal heroes of mine, were also fond of the scarf and garish dress…
February 3, 2015 @ 3:17 pm
…..not to mention, indiscriminately robbing and killing people.
February 3, 2015 @ 3:26 pm
Tom,
You must have watched too much PBS and Ken Burns. There was nothing indiscriminate about it. The black flag was raised on them. The worst of what Quantrill’s men did, while operating under a black flag, was done by the entire Union Army as a matter of policy.
February 4, 2015 @ 2:06 pm
I haven’t even had broadcast TV for several years, and when I did the only things I watched on PBS were some kids’ shows with my daughter and a show called “Old Time Country Music” which was produced locally for Iowa Public Television. Although I’m aware of Ken Burns, I’m not familiar with any of his work. I wouldn’t mind seeing his documentary on baseball, but I’m sure the Civil War piece would be too biased for my taste.
Prior to the Civil War, Quantrill was a drifting thief who was pro-abolitionist as late as 1859 when he found out there was money to be made in capturing escaped slaves and returning them to their owners. Anderson was a horse thief who stole mounts from both cavalries before joining the Confederate army, reportedly for the pay rather than any loyalty to the south.
Atrocities were committed on behalf of both sides. The Sacking of Osceola does not make the Lawrence Massacre any less horrific than it actually was, it just adds to the overall senseless carnage. A truly objective person with no dog in the fight would be hard pressed to identify very many truly heroic figures in that war.
September 14, 2017 @ 12:50 pm
I wear them myself. Also a guitar player
February 3, 2015 @ 4:02 pm
I think that they are supposed to cover up his gang tats on his neck from when he was in prison for …………………….
I have always like the way Marty dresses.
I view his clothing as his way of giving homage to the founders of country music whom he holds so sacred.
I think that Marty views the mantle he holds as a transitory honor and that he feels deeply indebted to the artists who walked before him.
You don’t see much of that.
And he is an individualist.
Marty doesn’t need to look like he spends all day in the gym and wear clothes to accentuate his badness.
He reminds me a little of Dwight Yoakum in that regard.
February 3, 2015 @ 4:32 pm
Lots of cowboys out here in MT wear still silk scarves just like Marty’s everyday in the winter, not just because of tradition, but they are toasty warm. I wear one a lot and it’s really warm when the cold north wind picks up.
February 3, 2015 @ 7:45 pm
Thanks for the history lesson. I’ve always loved Marty Stuart’s style and his band The Fabulous Superlatives in their Manuel outfits. If you get a chance look up The Big Interview with Dan Rather in AXS TV from Jan.25. He interviews Marty. Great interview done in Los Angeles at The Roxy. Dan Rather is a huge country music fan so he respects the genre and asked really good questions.
February 3, 2015 @ 8:44 pm
I don’t know, man. You can’t really see the right side of his neck in that photo of him with no scarf. It seams suspiciously shadowed. I think there’s more to it. I think that hobo/gypsy he met on the train, stabbed him in the neck… That’s what I think…
February 4, 2015 @ 6:03 am
Thanks for the history lesson trigger. Great read!
February 4, 2015 @ 8:05 pm
Nice read Kyle!
July 20, 2015 @ 1:35 pm
You can’t tell me Marty isn’t hiding anything on his neck, he does’nt just wear a scarfe like others do, he makes sure his entire neck is covered. The picture you showed does not show the right side of his neck, it’s dark on that side so who knows.
November 6, 2016 @ 5:20 pm
I asked the question because while watching a television show, it simply occurred to me. There are scarves and there are scarves. And if he or his biographer do not want to explain it, so be it. I will not lose any sleep over it. However, implying that the question is inappropriate or endeavoring to insult the questioner so as to avoid answering the question is asinine. I am not a “fan” of anyone’s but I know who Marty Stewart is and I appreciate his talent and his music. I suggest he fire the frog who responded to my simple and inoffensive query.
September 24, 2017 @ 7:41 am
You can not post this but marty Stuart need to read it. I found the article that told about the tattoo. If you are a true county fan and may grew up on a farm pig was the liverhood of many and are not that bad just smelly. If you are a true county fan that tattoo would not matter but stuart and his people are cause the rumor by wearing a scarf which in my opinion looks stupid. I was rasise on a farm and I grew up with my grandfather listen to his music. I would rather see the pig than these scarf which makes him look like he has no neck. Marty Stuart get real
November 3, 2017 @ 2:30 pm
Marty Stuart is cool
And can wear what he wants to
Are you jealous??