This letter is unlike anything I’ve ever sent out before! Think of this as a long-collected photo dump. Below, an ode to the humble satin scarf. A tiny wisp of fabric that can completely transform an outfit. I love seeing the distinct ways in which scarves were commonly styled, seeing the trends ebb and flow, and thinking about how adding a scarf can be a small but powerful way of tipping your look into the desired decade. Enjoy!
The 1920’s
First documented media of Chanel No. 5, 1921 sketch by Sem.
Polish femme fatale Pola Negri in the mid 1920’s
Renee Adoree on the cover of Picture Play magazine by Hal Phyfe, 1925
Actress Natalie Kingston in the mid 1920’s
Illustration by Baldrich for Blanco Y Negro, 1926
Arlette Marchal for Photo Play magazine, 1927
The iconic Clara Bow, 1927
Illustration by Henry Clive for Smart Set, 1927
The 1930’s
French magazine cover from 1930
Early fashion photography by the Seeberger Brothers, 1930's
More incredible Seeberger photos in this blog post.
1934 illustration of a woman in a yellow neck scarf
Baldrich for Blanco Y Negro, 1934
1935 scarf advertisement
Vogue July 1939
The 1940’s
Harper’s Bazaar, 1941
Harper’s Bazaar, 1942
An advertisement for Kimball scarves via Best & Co, 1940’s
Mostly unpublished photos of American cowgirls captured for LIFE from 1947-1948, via this blog post
From a LIFE magazine piece about teen style, 1949
The 1950’s
Jean Patchett by Irving Penn, Vogue 1951
Perhaps one of the most famous scarf loving Hollywood starlets, Audrey Hepburn
One of Grace Kelly’s many excellent scarves in To Catch A Thief (1955)
Elizabeth Taylor in a little chiffon headscarf
The 1960’s
Cuban cult film star Chelo Alonso, 1960’s
Twiggy wore so many scarves!
1965 cover of Teen magazine
Celia Hammond for Vogue, 1967.
Sophia Loren, another Hollywood scarf legend
The 1970’s
Vogue, 1972
70’s street style, couldn’t find a source for this one! (Could also be late 60’s?)
Diana Ross, a personal favorite vintage icon
Stevie Nicks having a fairy moment in a sparkly pink scarf
Vogue, Fall 1974.
The 1980’s
Scarves on the runway for YSL Rive Gauche, FW 1984/85
More scarves from YSL via F/W 1984
1984 advertisement
80's style icon Cyndi Lauper loved a loose piece of chiffon. Not sure if they were even really scarves, but she wore them like one!
The People’s Princess showing off formal scarf styling
Christina Applegate at the 1989 VMAs
Hermès Fall 1989 RTW
1989 advertisement for Adrienne Vittadini scarves
The 1990’s
Liberal use of headscarves on Christy Turlington in "Postcard to Portofino." Vogue, 1992, Shot by Arthur Elgort.
More Christie on the Valentino F/W 1993 runway
Cindy Crawford in a head-to-toe red look for the 1996 MTV Movie Awards
Halle Berry in Valentino at the 1996 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Erykah Badu performs at Lilith Fair, 1997
More scarf-adjacent looks from YSL! This looks like it’s all part of the top, but could definitely be recreated by matching a scarf to a top
The 2000’s
Looks 27 & 30 from Hermès Fall 2001 RTW. Clearly scarves, but they look like ties! Stunning.
The so-very-Y2K scarf dress on Charlize Theron and Chloe Sevigny in 2000 and 2002
Nobody was cooler to me than Amanda Bynes in What a Girl Wants (2003)
I specifically chose to highlight the popular fashions of Western culture, as this is the vintage market I specialize in! However, I do want to point out that many of these looks include scarves worn in ways that were originally inspired by specific cultures and religions. Traditions throughout Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe have deeply influenced draping in all global fashion design. Some of the most beautiful styling comes from women who wear religious head coverings, but I chose not to include them as they are for sacred practices that go beyond just fashion choices.
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