By Oliver Harry - Founder, Ghini Como, Argegno, Lake Como
Quick facts: how to wear a large silk scarf
- The standard luxury silk square scarf measures 70x70cm, which is the minimum size at which the scarf folds to a triangle long enough to tie a neck knot with two proportionate tails
- Hermès produces their classic carré at 90x90cm, considered the large silk scarf format, the additional size produces a more generous neck drape and makes the scarf viable as a shoulder wrap or full head covering
- A 70x70cm square at 14 momme weighs approximately 30 to 35 grams, light enough to wear at the neck without discomfort but heavy enough to drape and hold a knot through a full day
- The most common mistake when styling a large silk scarf is folding it too tightly, which reduces its effective size to that of a silk twilly scarf and loses the visual presence that makes a square scarf worth wearing
- Hermès produced their first silk carré in 1937, establishing the large square format as the luxury silk scarf standard that has remained in place for nearly ninety years
How to wear a large silk scarf: styling a 70x70cm square
Most people who own a large silk scarf wear it once, decide it is too much to manage, and leave it in a drawer.
The issue is almost never the scarf. It is the fact that nobody has explained the logic clearly enough for the result to feel inevitable rather than effortful. A 70x70cm square is not a single accessory with one correct application.
It is a format that produces genuinely different results depending on how it is folded, where it is placed, and how much of the fabric is allowed to show. Once that is understood, the square becomes the most versatile thing in the wardrobe rather than the most intimidating.
The classic neck knot, done correctly
The most common mistake when tying a large silk scarf at the neck is folding it too many times, reducing the visible width of the band to 2 or 3cm and losing the visual weight that makes a square scarf different from a twilly. The band needs to be 5 to 6cm wide when it goes around the neck.
Fold the square diagonally in half to form a triangle. Starting from the long edge, fold (not roll tightly) the fabric into a band of approximately 5 to 6cm wide.
Place the band around the back of the neck with both ends forward and of equal length. Cross the right end over the left, tuck it under, and pull through to form a simple knot. The tails should fall to approximately mid-chest.
At this width, the knot has presence and the tails are proportionate - the Como silk scarf reads as an intentional outfit accessory rather than a thin strip of silk at the throat.
The open shoulder drape
Fold the silk scarf diagonally into a triangle. Place the long edge across the back of the shoulders with the point of the triangle hanging at the centre back.
Bring both ends forward over the shoulders so they fall down the front of the chest and leave them untied.
This is a layering position rather than a fastening one. It works best over a fitted top or jacket where the scarf can rest on the shoulders without sliding.
At 14 momme, the fabric has enough weight to stay positioned through a day of movement without constant readjustment.
The open knot
Tie the classic neck knot but instead of pulling the second end all the way through to complete it tightly, leave it partially pulled so the knot itself is large and loose.
Both ends will be shorter as a result, sitting closer to the neck rather than falling to mid-chest, and the knot reads as a sculptural detail at the throat rather than a functional tie.
The Piazza Navy works particularly well here because the print reads clearly at the knot point without being obscured by tight folds.
As a belt
Fold the scarf diagonally into a triangle, then roll from the long edge into a band of approximately 4 to 5cm wide.
Thread through the belt loops of high-waisted trousers or a skirt, or wrap around the natural waist without loops and tie at the hip in a flat knot or bow.
A 70x70cm Como silk scarf produces a belt with enough length to wrap around a standard waist and tie cleanly, where a smaller silk scarf would run short before the knot.
As a head covering
Open the square flat. Fold the top third down toward the centre, then fold the bottom edge up to meet it, producing a wide band of approximately 20cm.
Place the band across the top of the head with the folded edge at the front hairline. Bring both ends to the back of the head, cross them once, bring them forward to the front, and tie in a knot or bow above the forehead.
The 70x70cm silk scarf has enough fabric to complete this wrap with tails long enough to knot and still leave visible ends.
On a bag handle
Fold the square diagonally into a triangle, then roll tightly from the long edge into a cord of approximately 2 to 3cm wide.
Find the midpoint and hold it against the midpoint of the bag handle. Wrap both ends in opposite directions along the handle, each spiralling outward. When both ends reach the base of the handle, tie in a flat knot underneath.
Because the square silk scarf has considerably more fabric than a twilly, it works best on a longer handle where the additional volume has somewhere to go cleanly.
Oliver Harry is the founder of Ghini Como, a luxury silk scarf brand based in the Province of Como, Italy. He lives in Argegno on the western shore of Lake Como.
