The Timeless Appeal of Hermès Silk Scarves

The Hermès scarf is the epitome of luxury. An object that’s free of outlandish logos and a loud “look at me” aesthetic, the scarf doesn’t let its wearer forget the absolute sense of lavishness and appreciation for craftsmanship.

I’ll never forget the first time I was spellbound by the orange silk of Hermès. I was 13, bored as hell in a small Arizona farm town. I spent hours flipping through the pages of glossy magazines—my mirror to the fanciful world of fashion—enamored by a beautiful photograph of a Hermès scarf effortlessly tied around a model’s long, slender neck. I was determined to own one.

Founded in 1837, Hermès started off making saddles and other equestrian equipment in Paris, but it wasn’t for another 100 years that the ultra-luxe French brand introduced scarves. Since then they’ve appeared on some of the best dressed ladies in history: Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Queen Elizabeth II, to name a few. Like all things Hermès, the process of making the scarves is intensely detailed—engraving the printing screens takes 750 hours, while each scarf requires the silk of 250 mulberry moth cocoons.

A Hermès silk scarf presented on a traditional frame printing.

AFP/Getty Images

Lightweight and eye-catching, the scarf is an ultimate status symbol—not to mention the perfect fall wardrobe staple. Tie one around the neck to spruce up a basic tee-and-jeans ensemble or wrap it around the straps of your Birkin (if you’re lucky enough to own one, that is). You can wear it as a headband during those unruly bad hair days or tie it around the waist like a belt—the options are endless.

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Three ways to wear a scarf (in under a minute):

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It wasn’t until I was a budding fashion writer visiting Paris that I finally made the leap and entered a Hermès store with the intention of purchasing a scarf. The romantic notion of buying my long-coveted item in Paris seemed like a once in a lifetime dream. I figured I could use my food budget and charge the rest to my credit card—“food over fashion, seems reasonable,” the 18-year-old me thought.

The only requirement I set for myself was for the scarf to feature that divine pumpkin-hue so famously associated with the brand. Like a bride in search of her perfect dress, I looked through shelves full of rainbow-hued, silky squares, perusing for “the one” that I could take home. And then finally, like the scene when Harry Potter receives his wand at Ollivanders, I found my scarf. The lights from the heavens opened and the voice of a 1,000 angels sung as the Hermès employee spread out the orange silk square printed with colored pencils.

I paid for it with my eyes closed, walked out of the store, and ripped it out of its perfectly sealed package to wrap it around my neck. I was totally smitten with what would be a lifelong wardrobe staple. Without enough money for a cab, I walked back to my hotel.

Since Paris, the scarf and I have been through it all: It became my good luck charm for those intense job interviews, and even served as a hankie when a dude broke my heart. The scarf became my (albeit, expensive) security blanket. I’ve acquired multiple scarves since then, but this one remains my favorite. My husband had it framed inside a glass case so that it can forever be preserved in its pristine shape.

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