How to choose a silk scarf

Begin with the clothes you reach for on an ordinary morning. A scarf that belongs with them will have more opportunities to leave the house. Then allow yourself to be surprised by the artwork.

Choose the shape for how you will wear it

A 90cm square gives you room to fold, tie and drape. A narrow twilly offers a smaller line of colour. If you want one scarf to try in several ways, start by considering a square; if you already know you want a slim tie, look at the twilly.

Our scarf size guide compares the current Thackray formats. Read the dimensions of the particular design as well, especially when buying for someone else.

Look at the edges as well as the centre

When a scarf is folded, its border may do more of the visible work than its central image. Look through the product photographs for the colours near the edges. Think of them beside a collar, a coat lapel or the neckline of a familiar jumper.

You need not find an exact match. A colour can make sense because it picks up something small elsewhere in the outfit. Try holding a similar colour near the clothes you have in mind before deciding.

Read the material and finish

Look for a clear fibre description, dimensions and edge finish. Many Thackray square scarves are made in 18-momme mulberry silk twill with hand-rolled hems. Each product page records the specification for that design.

Where a piece has double-sided printing, that is stated separately. Do not assume that every scarf in a collection is made in precisely the same way. The details are there to be used.

Give the story a little time

A design may appeal before you know what prompted it. Reading its story can change what you see. The pattern of The Hallway at Buxton, for example, begins with a tiled floor seen from a child’s height. The Tie on the Train remembers a businessman whose tie made a greater impression than his suit.

You may recognise something from your own life, or simply enjoy the way another person has noticed it. Either is a good reason to return to a design.

Understand the edition

Every Thackray scarf design has an edition of five. The product page gives the total edition. It does not serve as a live stock counter.

If the scarf is a present

Let the recipient’s interests lead. A dog lover may recognise the weather in Just You, the Wind, the Mud, and Me; a gardener may stop at the poem on Where Quiet Grows. Resist choosing a story only because it matters to you.

Delivery is one month from ordering, and each scarf comes in the Thackray lime-green box. For a fixed occasion, read the shipping policy. Contact the house before ordering if timing is essential. You can read the returns terms here.

Explore the silk scarves and spend time with the one that has caught your attention.