By Oliver Harry - Founder, Ghini Como, Argegno, Lake Como
Quick facts: how to tie a silk twilly
- A silk twilly (typically 5-8cm wide and 85-120cm long) was designed specifically for positions where a square scarf creates too much bulk: bag handles, wrists, and hair
- Rolled lengthways to approximately 1.5cm wide, a twilly becomes a cord with enough structure to wrap, knot, and hold its position through a full day of wear
- Silk twill grips itself in a way that satin does not, which is why a twilly tied in the morning sits in exactly the same position by evening without readjustment
- The Laglio twilly at 90cm long allows two complete wrist wraps with enough remaining length to tie and leave two short tails, using the full fabric without excess that looks unresolved
- Pinterest save rates for silk scarf hair styling content run at 1-2% in 2026, roughly four times the platform average, making it the highest-performing content category for silk accessories
How to tie a silk twilly: 7 easy styles for your wrist, bag and hair
If you have ever stood in front of a mirror with a twilly in your hand and genuinely not known what to do with it, you are far from alone.
It is one of those accessories that looks incredibly simple when someone else is wearing it and slightly baffling when you are holding it yourself.
The good news is that once you understand the logic behind it, it becomes one of the easiest things you own to style, and also one of the most useful, because a twilly tied well does the work of a bracelet, a hair accessory, and a bag detail all at once depending on what you need that day.
The reason it works so well in all of these positions is the proportions. At around 5cm wide and 90cm long, it is narrow enough to wrap through hardware and around wrists without creating bulk, and long enough to knot cleanly with something left over.
It is also, crucially, made in silk twill, which grips itself in a way that means whatever you tie stays tied. There is no slipping, no readjusting, no checking in the mirror at lunchtime. You put it on in the morning and it is still exactly where you left it by the time you get home.
The seven methods below are everything the twilly was designed for, with the exact steps that make each one work.
At the wrist: two methods
1. The double wrap
Roll the twilly lengthways until it forms a cord of approximately 1.5cm wide. Wrap it twice around the wrist, leaving around 12-15cm free at both ends.
Tie the two ends in a flat knot on the inside of the wrist, then bring them to the outside and either tie a second knot or leave them trailing at equal lengths.
The double wrap uses the Laglio's full 90cm without leaving awkward excess, and the two short tails sitting on top of the wrist are what give it a finished rather than improvised quality.
Worn alongside a watch on the opposite wrist, it occupies the category of details that people notice without being able to name exactly what it is.
2. The single knot bracelet
Roll the twilly to the same 1.5cm cord. Wrap once around the wrist, bring both ends forward, and tie in a bow rather than a flat knot, leaving the bow loops at approximately 4-5cm each and the tails a similar length.
A single wrap sits higher and lighter on the wrist than the double, and the bow reads as more relaxed than the flat knot version.
On the bag: three methods
3. The handle wrap
Roll the twilly to approximately 1.5cm wide. Hold the midpoint of the twilly against the midpoint of the bag handle.
Wrap both ends in opposite directions along the handle, each spiralling outward toward the end of the handle.
When both ends reach the base of the handle where it meets the bag body, tie them in a flat knot tucked underneath so it sits out of sight from the front.
The wrap should be firm enough to hold its position through a day of use but not so tight that the silk distorts against the hardware.
4. The bow at the corner
Thread the twilly through the D-ring or between the handle and the bag body at one end of the handle. Pull it through to the midpoint so both ends are equal.
Tie in a double bow directly at the attachment point, leaving the loops at approximately 4-5cm each.
Rather than covering the handle, this puts a deliberate detail at the corner of the bag, which suits smaller structured bags where a full handle wrap would be too dominant.
The Laglio Navy against a tan leather bag is the combination that reads as intentional rather than decorative.
5. The larks head drop
Fold the twilly in half to find the centre. Fold the doubled fabric into a loop at that midpoint and attach it to a carabiner clip, D-ring, or chain link by passing the two loose ends through the loop and pulling tight.
The two ends hang freely below the attachment point, moving with the bag rather than being fixed to it. This works on any bag with a hardware attachment point and is the most relaxed of the three bag methods, the silk swaying freely rather than sitting neatly against the handle.
In the hair: two methods
6. The headband
Take the twilly unrolled and place it across the top of the head from ear to ear, with the midpoint sitting at the front hairline. Bring both ends to the back of the head, cross them once, and tie in a flat knot at the nape.
The knot should sit low at the base of the skull rather than at the crown, which keeps the silhouette clean from the front and stops the back from looking bulky.
Because the twilly is already 5cm wide with no folding required, it sits as a narrow, precise band of colour rather than the thicker result a folded square produces.
7. The ponytail tie with hanging sections
Tie the hair in a ponytail as normal. Take the twilly unrolled and drape it over the ponytail at the base so the midpoint sits on top, with both ends hanging down on either side.
Tie once loosely underneath the ponytail, just tight enough to hold the position, then leave both ends falling freely alongside the hair rather than tying them into a bow.
The two trailing sections of silk move with the ponytail rather than being tucked away, which is the specific detail that makes the result look intentional rather than improvised.
Oliver Harry is the founder of Ghini Como, a luxury silk scarf brand based within the Province of Como, Italy. He lives in Argegno on the western shore of Lake Como.
