A good silk scarf can transform the way you dress

You can get a lot of mileage from a good silk scarf – here are the season’s best, all tied up

Part garment, part work of art, the silk scarf has been a staple of some of the most stylish women in history. This is not an exaggeration: Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Joan Collins, the late Queen…

It can be the answer to all of life’s problems – in style terms, at least. It can be wrapped around the head and under the chin to protect one’s hair (very Thelma & Louise); tied at the nape of the neck, it becomes protection from the sun; knotted over a jumper, it cheers up skiwear, à la the now King Charles in Klosters in the 80s. It can even serve as an elegant sling for an injured arm, as seen on Princess Grace in 1959.

Nor do you need to be a Vanderbilt, Kennedy or a Windsor to know that one of these little magic squares can work wonders in conveying confidence and wealth – it’s the original ‘old money’ accessory, thanks to the influence of Hermès, whose silk twill ‘carrés’ have been collectibles for almost 90 years.

It continues to be a hero of well-dressed women today. When Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney arrived for the Venice Film Festival with a Tory Burch scarf wrapped around her head, the paparazzi went wild. Rihanna, meanwhile, has worn her Hermès scarves as bandanas and bikini tops. One new brand, The 87, doubles down on that idea, proposing a scarf that can be tied myriad ways as beachwear.

An entry level way to wear one is to tie it to your handbag, either wrapped around a handle, or knotted at the base of a crossbody strap. From there, you could graduate into tying around the neck or wrist, or letting it peek out beneath the lapel of a blazer. Up the ante by wearing it on or in your hair (tie it to a hair elastic to prevent it slipping out of place).

You can be bolder with a scarf than you are in other areas of your wardrobe, too. Even colour-phobes won’t be averse to a splash of emerald green or rusty orange. For Larissa Stange, womenswear and accessories buying manager at Liberty, the house peacock feather-inspired print is top choice, as ‘it is easy to incorporate into different looks, yet still feels elevated and unique’.

However you wear a silk scarf, it feels like a little luxury – one with the capacity to transform the way you dress.

Left to right: Silk, £125, Nanushka; Silk, £170, Toteme; Silk, £96, Victoria Ragna

Left to right: Silk, £180, Sésam; Silk, £415, Hermès

Left to right: Geometric printed, £15.99, Mango; Silk, £69, LeScarf; Floral print, £29, & Other Stories

Left to right: Silk twill, £250, Liberty; Silk, £125, Hilma af Klint at Tate