By Oliver Harry - Founder and Creative Director of Ghini Como, a silk scarf brand based in Argegno, on Lake Como
Quick facts: how to wear a silk scarf
- A 70x70cm square silk scarf folds to a triangle with a long edge of approximately 99cm, the minimum length required to tie a standard neck knot with two visible tails of proportionate length
- The silk twilly (typically 5-8cm wide and 85-120cm long) was developed specifically for bag handle wrapping, wrist knotting, and hair styling, positions where a square scarf creates too much bulk to knot cleanly
- Silk twill holds a knot more securely than silk satin or plain weave because the diagonal rib structure creates surface friction between the layers of fabric, which is why luxury scarf producers use twill specifically for accessories worn in motion
- 14 momme is the minimum weight at which a silk scarf holds a neck knot through a full day of movement without slipping; below this weight, the fabric lacks sufficient body to maintain the knot's position
How to wear a 70x70 cm silk scarf: 13 ways from neck to hair to bag
The silk scarf is an amazingly versatile accessory, able to be styled in countless different ways. It can transform your everyday outfits from plain to chic, and add a welcome splash of colour to your wardrobe.
Unfortunately, many people own a silk scarf they barely wear. It sits in a drawer looking beautiful and slightly intimidating, and the reason is almost always because no one taught them how to style them.
That's why we have created this dedicated silk scarf styling guide, which will both provide you an easy step-by-step method for a variety of styling options and provide you with some much-needed inspiration if you're trying to pair your silk scarf with an outfit.
The methods below are organised by wear position, beginning with the neck where most people start, and moving through hair, bag, wrist, and body styling.
At the neck: six methods using a square scarf
1. The classic neck knot
Fold the silk scarf diagonally in half to form a triangle. Starting from the long edge, roll or fold the fabric into a band of approximately 5-6cm 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 it through to form a simple knot.
Position the knot at the centre of the collarbone or slightly to one side. The two tails should fall to approximately mid-chest.
This is the foundational neck styling from which all variations derive, and at 14 momme in a twill weave, the knot holds its position through a full day of movement without readjustment.
2. The scarf ring tie
Thread the scarf through a scarf ring before you put it on. Fold the 70x70cm silk scarf diagonally into a triangle, then roll or fold it from the long edge into a band of approximately 4-5cm wide.
Feed one end through the ring, wrap the band around your waist, thread the other end through the ring from the front, and pull it through until the fit is snug at whatever point on the waist or hip you want it to sit.
The ring holds everything in place without a knot, which means the two ends hang cleanly down the front rather than disappearing into a bow.
3. The open knot
Tie the classic neck knot as above, but instead of pulling the second end all the way through to complete the knot tightly, leave it partially pulled so the knot itself is large and loose.
Both ends of the scarf will be shorter as a result, sitting closer to the neck rather than falling to mid-chest, and the knot reads as a deliberate sculptural detail at the throat rather than a functional tie.
This method suits a square scarf with a bold print; the Piazza Navy reads clearly in this position because the print is not obscured by the folds of a tighter knot.
4. The shirt scarf
An effortless way to look chic with your silk scarf is to wrap it underneath an open shirt. Simply fold your scarf into a neat triangle and fold it inwards (leaving approximately one inch per fold) until the scarf is an inch or two wide.
Then, wrap it around your neck and let your shirt collar hold it in place naturally.
5. The scarf belt
Fold the scarf diagonally into a triangle. Drape it across the front of the hips with the point of the triangle hanging at the centre front and the two ends going around the waist.
Cross the two ends at the back, bring them around to the front, and tie once in a flat knot or a bow at one side of the hip rather than dead centre. The point of the triangle should hang freely below the knot, sitting against the front of the hip or the top of the thigh depending on where you tie it.
The Varenna works particularly well in this position because the polkadot print reads clearly against the triangle point, and the cream ground means it sits against almost any colour without fighting it. Tie it over straight-leg trousers or a midi skirt and the triangle hangs like a deliberate design detail rather than an afterthought.
6. The open shoulder drape
Fold the square 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 method rather than a fastening one, and 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 without constant readjustment.
Hair: four methods for the twilly and the square
7. The ponytail wrap
Take the Laglio twilly and roll it lengthways to a cord of approximately 1.5cm in diameter. Tie your hair in a standard ponytail using a standard hair tie.
Hold one end of the twilly at the base of the ponytail and wrap the silk cord around the base three or four times, covering the hair tie completely.
Secure the two ends of the twilly in a knot or small bow at the back. The double-backed construction of the Laglio twilly means the navy face and the white striped reverse both appear in the wrapping, producing a detail that reads well from any angle.
8. The headband
Take the Laglio twilly unrolled and place it across the top of the head from ear to ear, with the centre of the twilly 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. If the ends are long enough after the knot, tie again to secure.
Because the twilly is already 5cm wide with no folding required, it sits on the head as a precise, narrow band rather than the thicker result you get from folding a square.
The Laglio Navy in this position reads as a clean horizontal stripe of colour across the head, which works particularly well with hair worn down or loosely pulled back at the sides.
9. The wrist wrap
Roll the Laglio twilly lengthways until it forms a cord of approximately 1.5cm wide. Wrap it twice around the wrist, leaving around 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. The double wrap is what makes this work at the Laglio's 90cm length, using the full fabric without leaving awkward excess that looks unresolved.
Worn alongside a watch on the opposite wrist, it sits in that category of details that people notice without being able to name exactly what it is.
10. The ponytail section tie
Tie your hair in a ponytail as normal. Take the 70x70cm silk scarf and fold it diagonally into a triangle, then roll it from the long edge into a band of approximately 3-4cm wide.
Drape the band 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 forming a bow. The two trailing sections of silk move with the ponytail rather than being tucked away, which is what makes it look intentional rather than improvised.
Bag: three methods for the twilly and scarf
11. The handle wrap
Roll the twilly lengthways to approximately 1.5cm wide. Find the centre point of the twilly and hold it against the centre point of the bag handle.
Wrap both ends of the twilly in opposite directions along the handle, each end spiralling toward one end of the handle.
When both ends reach the ends of the handle, tie them together in a flat knot beneath the handle where it meets the bag body. The wrap should be tight enough to stay positioned but not so tight that the silk is distorted.
This is the method that works best with a structured handle; on a Polène Numéro Un or any structured top-handle bag where the handle is a fixed dimension, the twilly sits cleanly and does not migrate.
12. The bow knot
Thread the twilly through the D-ring or between the bag handle and the bag body at one end of the handle. Pull the twilly through to the halfway point so both ends are equal.
Tie in a double bow directly at the attachment point. Leave both bow loops and both tails at natural length (approximately 8-10cm for each loop and tail at the Laglio's 86cm length).
This method produces a deliberate, visible detail at the corner of the bag rather than a wrap that covers the handle, which suits smaller bags where the handle wrap would be disproportionately dominant.
13. The scarf wrap
Fold the square diagonally into a triangle, then roll it tightly from the long edge toward the point until you have a fairly narrow cord of around 2-3cm wide. The tighter the roll, the cleaner it will sit on the handle.
Find the midpoint of the rolled scarf and hold it against the centre of the bag handle. Wrap both ends in opposite directions along the handle, each end spiralling outward toward the end of the handle.
When both ends meet the base of the handle where it attaches to the bag, tie them together in a flat knot tucked underneath so it sits out of sight from the front.
Oliver Charles 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.
