Silk Scarves are Back and Vintage is Where it’s at

The silk scarf is an it-girl (and boy) approved accessory rife on the runway for several seasons now – but be sure to buy yours vintage.

It’s official, the silk scarf is smack-dab in the middle of a full-blown renaissance. It has been some 60 years since silk scarves were an it-item, but alas! they’re taking their rightful place blanketed around the heads of supermodels and influencers doing what they do best – influencing.

When it comes to this trend, Bella is wearing it, Gigi is wearing it, ex-Disney star turned fashion icon, Rowan Blanchard is wearing it. Queen Elizabeth the 2nd has been wearing it for years; in fact, the silk scarf has often been noted to be Her Majesty’s preferred accessory – second only to the crown of course. And now? Perfect for a bad hair day, this it-girl approved accessory is about to be your go-to plus one.

Bella Hadid wearing silk scarf - taken from Instagram

Majorly influenced by the merging of two vintage trends – the 50s babushka, and the 90s/noughties bandana – it is only fitting that this new silk-spattered wave would be one that that is taking over the vintage scene – despite its luxury origins.

Who remembers Babushka Boi? Well, A$AP Rocky’s iconic 2018 Gucci headscarf can pretty much take all the credit for initiating the silk-scarf-headscarf craze. Rocky’s influence brought the babushka out of hiding. Then Gucci set the stage for the silk scarf trend at its legendary autumn/winter 2018 show – you know, the one where the models carried replicates of their own heads and all that.

A$AP Rocky 2018

Just like any major trend, the silk scarf has been making its rounds on the runway in recent seasons.

During spring 2020 menswear fashion week, silk scarves flooded the catwalks. At Heron Preston and Kenzo, a silk babushka was paired with everything from monochromatic suits to loose-knit, nude vests.

Heron Preston ss20

Missoni’s spring 2020 RTW show gave us fresh styling cues where not only did the trend transcend menswear, but the bandana-style scarves were pulled down to conceal the models’ eyebrows.

Missoni ss20

Just weeks ago in New York City, Moschino’s autumn/winter 2020 menswear show, made a compelling case for the survival of streetwear and the revival of the silk scarf with a babushka draped over a snap-back and additional scarves to boot.

Moschino aw20

The catwalk made the silk scarf popular and showed us exactly how to wear it, but that doesn’t mean people are actually spending hundreds of pounds on a luxury label. Sources suggest that it is actually vintage scarves that are taking to the streets.

Pearl Jaques, a sales assistant at Rokit, a vintage shop located on Brick Lane, explains that, “two people this week have specifically come here and asked about silk scarves”.

Sophie Barret-Pouleau, a 20-year-old sales assistant at the Brick Lane Vintage Market, and London College of Fashion student, says that she sees, “at least five people a day – or definitely more than that,” rocking a silk scarf. “It’s just a thing that everyone is wearing,” she adds.

Not only does the LCF student sell a growing number of vintage scarves to customers each week, but she also wears one herself from time to time – all of her silk scarves are vintage.

According to Mariah Rose Turner, an up-and-coming London based accessory designer, vintage scarves are much more of an it-item than anything straight off the rack. “Buying silk scarves vintage is cheaper, it’s sustainable, and it’s just as cool as something designer,” she says. “It’s not about labels anymore, it’s about climate consciousness. But it’s still about style, that doesn’t go away. So, not just for silk scarves but for everything, I’d say vintage is where it’s at.”

Clearly when it comes to silk scarves people are shopping vintage above all else. But for those who would rather stick to what’s seen on the runway, Jaques notes that vintage retailers do occasionally source items from luxury design houses such as Dior and Oscar de La Renta – actually finding one is a luck-based affair.

The silk scarf has classically been seen as an item of glamour, worn by socialites as a babushka through the 50s and onward. Audrey Hepburn, once said, “When I wear a silk scarf I never feel so definitely like a woman, a beautiful woman.”

Nearly 50 years later we saw the used-to-be rugged and purposeful bandana adopted by the teens of the 90s and early noughties – most definitely in an attempt to channel Dionne from Clueless. Celebs like Justin Timberlake and Paris Hilton similarly debued the cotton hair accessory.

Today, these two age-old trends have merged together, and suddenly everyone is wearing a silk scarf styled like both the babushka and the bandana. Barret-Pouleau says, “People are buying vintage silk scarves; like men, women, everyone; it’s a genderless kind of trend and that’s cool.”

Silk scarves can be worn during any season, with bandana styling being favoured in the summer months. According to Barret-Pouleau, “in the summer silk is nicer and lighter than cotton.” She explains that during colder seasons, people often opt for a babushka to shelter their hair from prevailing inclement weather.

Despite being an a-list trend avidly represented on the runway, the silk scarf has made a case for vintage. Maybe that’s why it feels so right, right now. With sustainability at the forefront of everyone’s minds, a silk scarf may not seem all that important. But at least, when it’s vintage, it’s a step in the right direction.

Me wearing a silk scarf :)