![\"French](\"http:\/\/www.w-t-w.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/p01863ln.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nancy Diehl writes:\u00a0 When International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde goes to the G8 summit in June, she may well be wearing a scarf \u2013 a fashion accessory that she\u2019s become known for, and one that\u2019s been drawing more and more attention.<\/p>\n
In fact, the BBC recently identified scarves as a \u201cnew power symbol\u201d for women.<\/p>\n
True, just as some men choose amusing ties to enliven monochrome suits, many women who work in an atmosphere that requires conservative business apparel will wear scarves to add a fillip of colour and distinction.<\/p>\n
The scarf is the most simple form of adornment: a single piece of cloth. For this reason, it\u2019s one of the most versatile clothing accessories, used for centuries across a variety of cultures, for a range of purposes.<\/p>\n
Many Muslim women wear headscarves for modesty, while women of a certain age favour scarves with a triangular fold to protect expensive or elaborate coifs.<\/p>\n
The British firm Jacqmar produced designs with propaganda-themed slogans. One design mimicked a wall with posters urging citizens to \u201cLend to Defend\u201d and \u201cSave for Victory\u201d.<\/p>\n
But in Western culture, the scarf is most prominently known for its use as a fashion accessory, one that first gained widespread popularity in the 19th century.<\/p>\n
The fichu is a typical 18th- and 19th-century style that can be seen as the forerunner of modern scarves. A piece of fabric worn draped on the upper chest and usually knotted in front, it provided modest covering but was also an opportunity to add an especially fine textile \u2013 sometimes lace edged or embroidered \u2013 to an ensemble.<\/p>\n
Lightweight, finely woven silk and cashmere shawls from India were one of the first fashionable scarf styles. Empress Jos\u00e9phine \u2013 the first wife of Napoleon \u2013 had an extensive collection (thanks to her husband\u2019s travels), and the style persisted through much of the 19th century, spawning cheaper imitations fabricated in other parts of Europe, notably France and Paisley, Scotland.<\/p>\n
Certain labels are particularly associated with high style in scarves. Ferragamo, Fendi and Gucci \u2013 all originally esteemed leather goods houses \u2013 now produce desirable scarves.<\/p>\n
But for prestige and polish, Herm\u00e8s represents the pinnacle of scarf culture.<\/p>\n
Limiting the number of designs they offer each season has maintained Herm\u00e8s\u2019s mystique. The company\u2019s focus on craftsmanship helps justify their reputation and high prices; Herm\u00e8s takes pride in the impressive number of colours in each design, the hand-printing process and the fineness of their silk, positioning their output as artisanal creations.<\/p>\n
In contemporary fashion, scarves continue to serve the same functions as those earlier fine linen fichus and paisley shawls; they denote connoisseurship and sophistication.<\/p>\n
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Nancy Diehl writes:\u00a0 When International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde goes to the G8 summit in June, she may well be wearing a scarf \u2013 a fashion accessory that she\u2019s become known for, and one that\u2019s been drawing more … Continue reading