Living a Wonderful, Stylish Life: Silk Scarf

The only way to really understand the value of a scarf is to spend an afternoon at a Parisian café and just watch the woman walk by. Scarves as belts, scarves as decorating handbags, scarves as tops, scarves as headbands, scarves tied through the back loops of trench coats, scarves tied around the neck in 88 different ways, and on and on and on. It does seem, as is so often said, that the women of Paris are born knowing how to wear a scarf. The rest of us to have watch and learn and maybe seek out an instructional guide or two. In 1988, Jean-Louis Dumas-Hermes put out a pictorial pamphlet called "How to Wear Your Hermes Scarf." If you can manage to find it, it is the most inspiring manual. But if you cannot get your hands on the pamphlet or a plan ticket to Paris, you’re going to have to resort to good old-fashioned practice.

ALL TIED UP

In addition to Hermes, Gucci and Ferragamo make beautiful printed silk scarves. These are traditional, iconic souvenirs from one’s first trip to Italy. They are instant heirlooms.

Consider it as piece of jewelry and it wear it as such (it should add oomph and drama).

It should be personal and a part of you-it doesn’t have to be silk if that’s not your thing.

Closet Obsession: THE HERMES SCARF It is just 90 centimeters and 65 grams of silk, yet it takes 2 years to create a single Hermes scarf. Technically, the process begins in Brazil, where the silk is spun from cocoons woven by the larvae of 250 silk moths. As the silk is spinning in Brail, the design process begins in Lyon, France, where all f the designers are briefed on what the theme of the season’s collection will be. Then’ over 50 artists create designs for the ten scarves to be produced that season. After the many months it takes to create the designs, an engraver will make a silk screen for each different color that will appear on each scarf. If there are 30 colors in one scarf, he much creates 30 different silks screens. Then there is an intensive coloration process, as an entire committee will vote on the shades and tones, before the design is finally sent to the factory where the dirty work begins. There is dizzy printing process, then a luxurious steam bath to make the scarves unbelievably soft, and then 2 women painstakingly scrutinize each centimeter of silk for any defects. Last, the squares are cut and seamstresses edge them by hand, before they are shipped off to be snatched by woman the world over.

The One Hundred a Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own by Nina Garcia