WHAT MAKES A SCARF A TRUE LUXURY SCARF APRIL 21, 2013 | ANNE TOURAINE PARIS™ Like everything else there are scarves and scarves. They can range from a few dollars to half a thousand dollars and sometimes it’s hard to find one’s way in the scarf world and it’s easy to be fooled. Learn how to make the difference between a true luxury and a faked one… 1. Consider the fabric No surprise: for many reasons, natural fabrics are much classier than synthetic ones. They express elegance and sophistication. In addition to this, natural fabrics are soft and pleasant to wear. Nothing can compare with the smoothness of pure silk which by the way keeps us cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Nothing can compare to the extreme softness and coziness of true cashmere. Finally remember that the colors of a scarf appear enhanced and more vivid on natural fabrics. 2. Consider the design A sophisticated design is the sign of a luxury scarf. It means that the brand has invested time in creating something really unique. To make a nice design it takes hundreds of hours and it requires the skills of talented and professional scarf designers. Think about a scarf like you would think about a painting. I know, I know: in auction sales, some white “paintings” can be sold for millions of dollars – just because they bear a famous signature. But really: is it art??? No; these are just snobbish trends. Same with a scarf: the name doesn’t make it all. The true value is in the artistic result and the tiny details of a pattern. Also, some brands and some manufacturers are very good at copying or – let’s put it nicely – in “finding close inspiration” into existing patterns. It saves time… and money. Well, sorry to say: other the fact that this is looting the work of other brands it’s also the sign of very poor creativity… A luxury scarf is meant to be unique and to reflect a brand’s creativity! It’s never flattering to discover that different brands sell the exact same scarf or pale copies of existing scarves. 3. Consider the colors Did you know that the more colors a scarf has the more complex it is to create and the more expensive it is to produce? We are not always aware of it but the beauty of a scarf comes both from its design and from the number and the subtlety of its colors. A plain scarf or a scarf with a very few colors is fine if you like it this way. Yet, if you are paying a high price for a very simple design with a very few colors, then the scarf is probably overpriced without being a true luxury scarf. Or you are just paying for a name and the added value is not in the scarf you are buying. 4. Consider the finishing If you think the finishing of a scarf doesn’t matter, why not? Your choice! But then again we cannot talk about a luxury scarf if its finishing is not impeccable. And as we all know, the quality of the finishing can make a big difference. Take for example the hem of a silk scarf: It can be machine made or hand rolled. There is a huge difference between the two! A hand rolled hem – about an hour work to do it, just to tell you – is a lovely soft finish for a scarf edge whereas a machine hem is flat and not very nice. The point is: you cannot hide the hem when you wear a scarf… Besides, when a hem is machine made, very often the corners of it are not properly cut whereas when hand rolled, they are impeccable. The scarf label is another major “detail”. If it’s sewn in the hem you won’t be able to remove it whereas when it’s stitched you have the option to remove it if you want. Of course, the label should have the brand’s name on it. 5. Consider the environment A friend of mine told me she recently purchased a supposedly luxury silk scarf but was pretty disappointed about the packaging: she was expecting a nice box with maybe a ribbon wrapped around it whereas her scarf came into a cheap clear plastic bag… As a scarf lover she was also expecting some additional material like a catalog or a how-to-tie guide along with detailed cleaning instructions but again none of these came along with her scarf. The environment means also everything which conveys luxury such as the photos – if there are any. These photos have a double interest: first they present the scarf in real life; second: they are part of the brand mystic. 6. Consider the price Let’s be realistic. An expensive scarf is not always the sign of a luxury scarf but one thing is sure: a very inexpensive scarf cannot be the sign of a luxury scarf. As said above, it takes hours to design an exclusive scarf with a unique and sophisticated design and to manufacture it. Though obviously some brands take advantage of their fame and renown), you won’t get a true and brand new luxury scarf for only a couple of dollars. This does not exist.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 06:29:38 +0000