how to wear foulards (small scarves) this spring

around your neck or in your hair, to complete any outfit 🤌

Hi everyone! My best friend asked me to write about different ways to wear foulards—which it turns out, doesn’t have an equivalent translation in English.

Le foulard, in French, is the general term for small scarves: silk scarves, bandanas, sophie scarves, handkerchiefs.

A fashion subtlety lost on Google:

very incomplete translation by google, completed by me

It comes in all colors, patterns, fabrics and is the most versatile fashion accessory.

So today, we’re answering my bestie’s question with ideas and inspo to rock le foulard.

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A quick history (and Hermès) detour

1930s: the start of fashion scarves

Scarves have been around since forever, everywhere.

But it was in the 20th century that they became a fashion statement with early Hollywood stars like Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich as the first ✨foularfluencers✨

Marlene Dietrich, circa 1930s / Greta Garbo, 1938

1950s-70s: the rise of le carré Hermès

In 1937, Hermès introduced their very first iconic silk scarves: le carré. A few decades later it rose to fame thanks to style icons like Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and Grace Kelly.

Grace Kelly, 1956, keeping her broken arm classy with an Hermès sling (as one does) / Jackie Kennedy, 1970s / Audrey Hepburn, the queen of headscarves

To this day, these scarves are hand-rolled, hand-stitched and meticulously designed - often taking artists up to two years (!) to complete.

Flash-forward to today, le foulard is still one of the most classic fashion accessories.

(I’ll admit, this detour was mostly an excuse to share old Hermès ads and photos of these elegant ladies)

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How to wear le foulard

📜 First, a small foulard manifesto:

1. Pops of color go with everything. Small scarves have the superpower of pairing well with anything: your colorful sweaters, your patterned shirt, all your jackets, your jewelry...they will always find their place in an outfit.

2. Smaller = easier to style. For example, 45x45cm or even smaller like the Twilly format from Hermès. Possibilities are limited, and that’s a good thing: no need for a YouTube tutorial on how to tie it.

Alright, let’s go!