Silk Scarves: All About You!
The silk scarf is arguably one of the most popular and probably one of the top selling fashion accessories that are available today. They can be seen anywhere from ordinary housewives wrapping one around their necks when going out on a cold and windy day, to high fashion circles where fashionin designers and celebrities use them as headbands or loosely worn as neckerchiefs. Some of these high fashion women would even wear a silk scarf made from chic designers and well-known names such as Vitaliano Pancaldi, Hermes, Vera Newman, Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci.
Some people would even collect vintage silk scarfs that were crafted from the strongest silkworm fibers made from generations ago and passed on as previous family heirlooms. Some personalities would insist only on products that come with a designer label while others would settle for pieces that are in excellent condition even if they are made by an obscure or unknown label.
How Silk Scarfs Came to Be:
The first silk scarf was made thousands of years ago in ancient China, where craftsmen discovered how to harness the natural protein fibers that are spun by the mulberry silkworm in silk farms or what is now known as sericulture. The fibers are intricately cross-weaved into an elegant cloth that exudes a unique and natural high shine as the material reflects light. This unique quality made silk scarves a very precious commodity and was originally used as clothing material reserved only for the kings, queens and the nobility.
The use of this fabric as a clothing accessory started out in ancient Rome where they use pieces of cloth as “sudarim” or “sweat cloth” in Latin during hot weather and were used by both men and women. Throughout the centuries, it spread throughout the known world using various materials and eventually using silk as trade caravans from China reached destinations far and wide. The silk scarf was worn as a shawl, a head wrap, a neckerchief, sarong, pocket squares and even as belts.
A Collector’s Item: The Value of Silk Scarfs:
A silk scarf that was handed down from generations to generations as a previous family heirloom could be priceless not only in the eyes of the family itself but also to various collectors worldwide. An item like this could fetch thousands of dollars from a specialty auction usually participated only by the elite. A collector has the option to focus only in certain aspects in the material. For example, the collector can insist in looking only for vintage materials crafted by well-known names or makers from designer labels. Others would settle for the personal appeal and impact that the silk scarf has made on them and this could be due to various elements like design, origin or color. These collectors scour the planet and browse through antique shops or specialty stores hunting for one that would match their taste and satisfy what they were looking for.
Characteristics:
A silk scarf can come in a variety of lengths, designs, textures and even weights. They can come as short as six to 16 inches in length and used as bandanas or neckerchiefs, or they can go as long as over 40 inches in length when used as shawls that can be wrapped around shoulders or the waist. These are very light compared to other fabrics and are more airy and porous giving it the ability to “breathe” and to keep the skin fresh and cool. This accounts for the preference of most men and women for this material over cotton, satin or wool.
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