If the “French girl” way to wear a silk scarf is to tie it around the neck, then the British alternative is surely to wear it over the head and knotted at the chin.
It’s a wind and drizzle-proof look that became synonymous with the late Queen (she always wore a silk headscarf while outdoors at Sandringham and Balmoral), as well as that other great British fashion icon, EastEnders’ Dot Cotton.
And yet despite its practicality, visual appeal and creative potential, this particular way of wearing a silk scarf (also known in fashion circles as a “babushka” scarf) had all but fizzled out – until a string of stylish sightings over the past few months.
The latest came courtesy of the Austalian actress Elizabeth Debicki, who attended the Dior show at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday in a headscarf that wouldn’t look out of place in The Crown – albeit on a different character from her Princess Diana.
With her oversized sunglasses and blonde hair spilling from beneath the scarf, it looked pretty and elegant, with a gentle nod to another chic royal, Grace Kelly.
We’ve also seen it on the catwalk at Jacquemus, Dolce & Gabbana, Kenzo and Lemaire, but the most persuasive sign that this look has legs is thanks to two of the most influential women on social media.
First there was the American model Hailey Bieber, who tied a leopard-print scarf over her baseball cap at the Coachella music festival. Then model Alexa Chung was seen wearing a cotton iteration in a couple of posts on her Instagram over the summer.
She’s since “winterised” the idea, tying a red-and-navy striped jumper around her head in the campaign images for the collection she designed recently for Barbour.
Chung makes it look playful and spontaneous – but that’s all part of her charm. Although a mini poll of the non-fashion people in my life were unanimously approving of the look, the question remains: can a non It-girl (or regal icon) carry it off?
I’d like to say yes, absolutely – tie a scarf around your head, and hey presto – but there’s more to it than that. “The key to nailing the ‘granny’ style is choosing the right size scarf,” says Dee Moran, a senior stylist at Liberty.
“A 70 by 70cm or 90 by 90cm works best. With the larger 90 x 90cm, you have more fabric to play with – you can wrap the ends around your neck and tie them at the front or back for extra security, and in most cases, you won’t even need a pin.”
Ianthe silk twill scarf, £95, Liberty
Zebra-print scarf, £37, & Other Stories
That said, if it looks too studied, it may come off a bit try-hard. The fashion trends with real staying power tend to be born from practicality, so the baby steps route would be to introduce this kind of styling to your outerwear repertoire first: Rise & Fall’s wool-cashmere bandana could be a chic alternative to a beanie.
Cashmere-wool bandana, £95, Rise & Fall
Another gateway piece is a rain hood: Plumo’s waxed cotton version is similar to a headscarf, as is L’Hood’s Elio (£34.99).
Carr waxed hood, £98, Plumo
Ready to graduate to the next level? Get yourself a silk scarf – something that reflects your existing style, whether that’s leopard print, a heritage check or plain black, so it still looks and feels like you.
“The more traditional look would involve tucking all your hair inside at the front while leaving it loose at the back – think of the royals or glamorous women in open-top cars,” Moran advises.
“For a modern, more fashion-forward take, you can follow Elizabeth Debicki’s lead and leave some hair out at the front, making it more of a [hair style] statement than a functional choice.”
From there, you can progress to the next level of babushka styling: try it à la Mrs Bieber over a baseball cap, or channel your inner Jackie O and team it with oversized sunglasses.
It helps to be a model or a movie star, obviously. It also helps to have either a stylist or some good style instincts yourself. But at the same time, the only barrier to entry here is your own confidence.
As Moran says, “The key is in making it your own and styling it in a way that feels authentic to you. When done right, it can be effortlessly chic. It’s not about following trends; it’s about interpreting the look in a way that works for you.”
Enchanted Garden silk scarf, £150, Aspinal of London
If nothing else, it does look better than awkwardly holding your coat over your head in a sudden shower. And when you catch your reflection in a shop window, you might find that you like what you see.
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