As I have been sorting through my closet and getting rid of a lot of things, I’ve landed on a pretty tight edit of neutral colors and styles. And I realized that I could use something to give my outfits a little flair. That’s where scarves come in, and more specifically, Hermès scarves. They are beautiful, collectible and expensive, so it take some planning when choosing an Hermès scarf. You don’t want to do this on a lark!
Why choose Hermès?
By choosing an Hermès scarf, you are choosing to join a long line of famous and stylish women (and men) who have worn the famous scarves over the years. A bit of googling will yield images of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, countless models and actresses, as well as famously stylish women. So there’s something fun in knowing that you are carrying on this long tradition by choosing an Hermès scarf for yourself.
Spend time browsing!
There are over 1200 styles of Hermès scarves in circulation. They come in several sizes and different materials- generally silk and cashmere. Of course you need to find one that works for you in terms of size and material- I’m going with the classic 90cm (roughly 35×35 inches) in silk twill.
As you browse google images, the Hermès website, eBay, etsy, etc, you will quickly notice some general themes of patterns/prints.
- Very traditional- something like this. I’m not a huge fan, but these scarves seem to be the most reasonably priced on the resale market.
- Anything to do with horses. Again, I’m not a huge fan- horses are fine but they don’t make my heart race (if only I could find one with a fountain pen! the closest I’ve found is this one with pencils on it). I could probably lump horses in with animals in general. No tigers, giraffes for me.
- Country/culture themes, like India, Americana, that sort of thing. Again, not really for me.
- More modern styles- which are really all over the board. Now, I’m interested!
See what I mean about needing to do a lot of browsing? Even amongst the more modern styles, choosing an Hermès scarf is not easy! As I’ve been browsing, I’ve been keeping a list of potential styles. I’m not rushing to decide- trust me, there are lots and lots of Hermès scarves out there!
Check the primary colors of your wardrobe
There are two bodies of thought on colors when choosing an Hermès scarf.
#1 Stick with colors of your clothes. Like navy? Choose a scarf with lots of navy. Same thing with black. Green. You get the idea. You’ll end up with a very versatile scarf that matches your clothes.
#2 Go with what Hermes does so well- very bright, colorful scarves. I think this is the route I am going to take. I wear a lot of neutrals! I am looking for a pop of color that will work with black, grey, navy, khaki. Right now, I’m trending towards pink- which sort of scares and excites me, at the same time 🙂
Do keep in mind that most Hermès scarves come in different colors- so if you like the pattern but aren’t loving the color way, keep looking- you may find your ideal combination.
And while the pattern you see when the scarf is laid out flat might be a bit wild/bright, remember that you are going to be wearing it rolled up, folded up and only a bit of the pattern will appear. Unless you are going to be making a top out of your scarf! (I will not…)
Are you collecting or wearing?
I’m not really in the collecting mode right now. I’m a big proponent of using what you have (and love.) And there’s an upside to that- I am a bit more tolerant of a few flaws in my “new” scarf. Because no doubt I will be adding a few myself! But if you plan on wearing something very carefully and then reselling it, buy the most pristine version you can afford. It will help enormously on the resale market. Some stores won’t even consider reselling something with more than a couple of very small spots or flaws.
Sources to consider on the secondary market
The RealReal
Pros: Good prices, things do get marked down after a while. Fair amount of inventory, and it turns fast- meaning, you’ll see 10-15 new scarves added online every day.
Cons: You can’t really wait around and think about a purchase. If it’s a popular style or color, it may very well be gone by the time you have decided to pull the trigger. The RealReal also has more items with more flaws. So read the description carefully.
Fashionphile
Pros: More rare scarves that are hard to find elsewhere. They won’t sell anything that they deem to be lower than “very good” quality, and most of the scarves are the site are rated “pristine” or “excellent”.
Cons: Prices match the high quality, more curated selection. Inventory moves more slowly, but when something catches your eye, don’t hesitate. I already missed out on this gem.
Etsy and eBay
Pros: Selection. Sometimes a good deal. If you want to give scarves a try, you can pick one up for a pretty decent price. Try it out and decide if you want/need to upgrade.
Cons: You’ll see it all on etsy and eBay. The good, the bad and the ugly. All the usual rules apply. Watch out for fakes. Hesitate before buying from sellers with no reviews/ratings or poor ones. If a price is too good to be believed, well, it probably is!
Be careful with eBay in particular. The quality is all over the map. Look carefully at the photos, and don’t hesitate to ask the seller for more details. If they don’t post at least 8+ detailed photos, it’s probably best to take a pass.
Japanese sellers have the reputation for being the most forthcoming about defects and flaws. They also seem to know more about what a scarf is worth- probably due to a very robust luxury market in Japan.
Care for and wear your new scarf!
The general rules about care seem to be: don’t get it wet, don’t snag it on anything (duh), and be sure to hang it out overnight, unfolded, before safely storing it away.
Sure, Hermès scarves are not cheap. But life is short! And you know how I feel about “saving” nice things for some day in the future that may never come. So you did the work to find the perfect scarf for you. Put it on, wear it a random Tuesday. Wear it on that Zoom call! Enjoy the heck out of it! And think of all the cool women, today and in the past, who enjoyed that same lovely feeling of French silk around their necks.
