How to stay on trend this summer but look classically chic? Simply wear silk

By Freya Drohan
31st Jul 2019

How to stay on trend this summer but look classically chic? Simply wear silk

Silk scarves have been a fashion favourite for decades – think Audrey Hepburn, Jackie O, Grace Kelly and Brigitte Bardot. Here’s how to wear yours this summer, and a few other interesting ways to incorporate this luxe fabric into your wardrobe.

There’s nothing new about silk scarves, which is funny, because they feel so very current.

While the slinky accessory was spotted during several SS19 shows in various guises, they actually date back to 350 BC, when they were worn by Egyptian queens as headdresses. Throughout history, versatile square pieces of fabric have been utilised by individuals in all walks of life – from Roman men (who used them as ‘sweat cloths’) to Chinese emperors, Croatian soldiers and ultimately by the fashion forward trend setters of the 20th century.

Grace Kelly

Search silk scarves on Pinterest and you may have a hard time discerning which images are the ones from a bygone era, and which are from the catwalks a mere few months ago.

From Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O to Bianca Jagger and Brigitte Bardot – and, of course, Grace Kelly who wrapped her cast in a silk scarf when she broke her arm in 1956 – photographs of these revered style stars in their silk scarves have an endearing glamor that still compels designers to channel their energy.

“Beyond the catwalks, silk scarves have been a staple on Instagram this summer; perhaps due to Millennials’ obsession with reviving retro trends.”

Bringing it back to the present, at Michael Kors, the eponymous designer went the matchy-matchy route with 1960s-esque floral headscarves paired with dresses in the same print. At Burberry, Riccardo Tisci put a heightened focus on silk scarves baring the house’s new logo.

These creative directors followed the likes of Demna Gvasalia, Dries Van Noten, Richard Quinn and Donatella Versace, who had kickstarted the resurgence the previous season.

Beyond the catwalks, silk scarves have been a staple on Instagram this summer; perhaps due to Millennials’ obsession with reviving retro trends. Before I head off down the rabbit hole of silk scarf tying tutorials on YouTube, here’s some other silk trends that have caught my eye.

Silk bags

Popularised by Budapest’s coolest label Nanushka and Milan-based handbag designer Emily Levine, petite, handheld silk bags are the archetypal summer bag, infusing a vintage aesthetic with a dash of globetrotter luxe.

Plus, who doesn’t love an accessory that looks like a yummy little dumpling?