A scarf, plural ''scarves'', is a piece of fabric worn around the
neck
The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...
or
head for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or used to show the support for a sports club or team. They can be made in a variety of different materials such as wool, linen, silk or cotton. It is a common type of
neckwear.
History
Scarves have been worn since ancient times. In 1350BC Ancient Egypt, Queen Nefertiti is said to have worn a tightly-woven headscarf, and the
Statue of Ashurnasirpal II from the 9th century BC features the emperor wearing a shawl. In
Ancient Rome, the garment was used to keep clean rather than warm. It was called a
focale
The ''focale'' (plural ''focalia''), also known as a ''sudarium'' ("sweat cloth"), was a woolen or linen scarf worn by ancient Roman military personnel. It protected the neck from chafing by the armor. The ''focale'' is depicted widely in military ...
or ''sudarium'' (sudarium from the
Latin for "sweat cloth"), and was used to wipe the sweat from the neck and face in hot weather. They were originally worn by men around their neck or tied to their
belt
Belt may refer to:
Apparel
* Belt (clothing), a leather or fabric band worn around the waist
* Championship belt, a type of trophy used primarily in combat sports
* Colored belts, such as a black belt or red belt, worn by martial arts practiti ...
.
Historians believe that during the reign of the Chinese
Emperor Cheng, scarves made of cloth were used to identify officers or the rank of Chinese warriors.
In later times, scarves were also worn by soldiers of all ranks in Croatia around the 17th century. The only difference in the soldiers' scarves that designated a difference in rank was that the officers had silk scarves whilst the other ranks were issued with cotton scarves. Some of the Croatian soldiers served as mercenaries with the French forces. The men's scarves were sometimes referred to as "
cravats" (from the French ''cravate'', meaning "Croat"), and were the precursor of the
necktie.
The scarf became a real fashion accessory by the early 19th century for both men and women. By the middle of the 20th century, scarves became one of the most versatile clothing accessories for both men and women.
Uses and types
In cold climates, a thick
knit
Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine.
Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...
ted scarf, often made of
wool, is tied around the neck to keep warm. Sometimes called a
muffler, this is usually accompanied by a heavy
jacket or
coat
A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a ...
. Also, the scarf could be used to wrap around the face and ears for additional cover from the cold.
In drier, dustier warm climates, or in environments where there are many airborne contaminants, a thin
headscarf,
kerchief, or
bandanna
A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purpo ...
is often worn over the eyes and nose and mouth to keep the hair clean. Over time, this custom has evolved into a fashionable item in many cultures, particularly among women. The
cravat, an ancestor of the
necktie and
bow tie
The bow tie is a type of necktie. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also called the bow knot for that reason. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar of a shirt in a symmetrical manner so that th ...
, evolved from scarves of this sort in
Croatia.
In India, woollen scarfs with
Bandhani work
Bandhani ( hi, बांधणी, gu, બાંધણી) is a type of tie-dye textile decorated by plucking the cloth with the fingernails into many tiny bindings that form a figurative design. The term ''bandhani'' is derived from the Sans ...
use tie and dye technique used commonly in Bhuj and Mandvi of the Kutch District of Gujarat State.
Scarves that are used to cover the lower part of face are sometimes called a cowl. Scarves can be colloquially called a ''neck-wrap''.
Scarfs can be tied in many ways including the pussy-cat bow, the square knot, the cowboy bib, the ascot knot, the loop, the necktie, and the gypsy kerchief.
[Perry, Patricia, (1971). "Everything About Sewing Ponchos Capes Scarves & Stoles", New York: Butterick Fashion Marketing Company. 70-169062] Scarfs can also be tied in various ways on the head.
Scarves are also used as fashion accessories with evening gowns by draping them over the shoulders or arms; one such example is the feather boa.
In religious or cultural use
Several
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is a distinct religious body within Christianity that comprises all church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadership, theological doctrine, wors ...
s include a scarf known as a
Stole as part of their liturgical vestments.
In uniforms
Silk scarves were used by pilots of early aircraft in order to keep oily smoke from the exhaust out of their mouths while flying. These were worn by pilots of closed cockpit aircraft to prevent neck chafing, especially by fighter pilots, who were constantly turning their heads from side to side watching for enemy aircraft. Today, military flight crews wear scarves imprinted with unit insignia and emblems not for functional reasons but instead for esprit-de-corps and heritage.
Students in the
United Kingdom traditionally wear
academic scarves with distinctive combinations of striped
colours identifying their individual university or college.
Members of the
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpack ...
movement wear a scarf-like item called a
neckerchief
A neckerchief (from ''neck'' (n.) + ''kerchief''), sometimes called a necker, kerchief or scarf, is a type of neckwear associated with those working or living outdoors, including farm labourers, cowboys and sailors. It is most commonly still see ...
as part of their uniform, which is sometimes referred to as a scarf. In some Socialist countries
Young pioneer
A pioneer movement is an organization for children operated by a communist party. Typically children enter into the organization in elementary school and continue until adolescence. The adolescents then typically join the Young Communist League ...
s wore a neckerchief called a
red scarf
The red scarf is a neckerchief worn by young pioneers of several countries during the communist era. In the Soviet Union it was known as ''pionerskiy galstuk'' (пионерский галстук, i. e. pioneer's neckerchief), in Vietnam as ''kh ...
.
In sport
Since at least the early 1900s, when the phenomenon of scarves began in Britain, colored scarves have been traditional supporter wear for fans of
association football teams across the world, even those in warmer climates. These scarves come in a wide variety of sizes and are made in a club's particular colors and may contain the club crest, pictures of renowned players, and various slogans relating to the history of the club and its rivalry with others. At some clubs supporters will sometimes perform a 'scarf wall' in which all supporters in a section of the stadium will stretch out their scarves above their heads with both hands, creating an impressive 'wall' of color.
This is usually accompanied by the singing of a club anthem such as "
You'll Never Walk Alone" at
Liverpool F.C. or "Grazie Roma" at
A.S. Roma
' (''Rome Sport Association''), commonly referred to as Roma (), is a professional football club based in Rome, Italy. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma has participated in the top tier of Italian football for all of its existence, except for ...
. This was initially solely a British phenomenon, but has since spread to the rest of
Europe,
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
and
South America. Some clubs supporters will perform a scarf 'twirl' or 'twirly' in which a group of supporters hold the scarves above their heads with one hand, and twirl the scarf, creating a 'blizzard' of color. This is usually accompanied by a club anthem such as "
Hey Jude" at
Heart of Midlothian.
Scarf wearing is also a noted feature of support for
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
clubs in the
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
. The scarves are in the form of alternating bars of color, usually with the team name or mascot written on each second bar.
Gallery
Manufacturing of scarves
The craft of knitting
garment
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...
s such as scarves is an important trade in some countries. Hand-knitted scarves are still common as gifts as well.
Printed scarves are additionally offered internationally through high fashion design houses. Among the latter are
Burberry
Burberry is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather accessories ...
,
Missoni
Missoni is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Varese, and known for its colorful knitwear designs. The company was founded by Ottavio ("Tai") and Rosita Missoni in 1953.
History Early beginnings
The business was founded in 1953, when O ...
,
Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashion ...
,
Cole Haan
Cole Haan is an American brand of men's and women's footwear and accessories that serves markets worldwide. The company was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1928. Cole Haan currently has its headquarters in both New York City and Greenland, New Ham ...
,
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is ...
,
Etro
Etro is a family-managed Italian fashion house founded in 1968. It is mainly known for its paisley patterns, which the company started making in 1981.
History
Etro was founded in 1968 by Gerolamo "Gimmo" Etro as a textile design company. By the t ...
,
Lanvin
Lanvin () is a French luxury fashion house based in Paris. Founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin, it is the oldest French fashion house still in operation. Since 2018, it has been a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Lanvin Group. Bruno Sialelli, a 31-year ...
,
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès ( , ), is a French luxury design house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Its logo, sinc ...
,
Nicole Miller
Nicole Miller is an American fashion designer and businesswoman.
Miller attended the Rhode Island School of Design where she earned a BFA in Apparel Design. She studied for a year at L'Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture ParisienneBal ...
,
Ferragamo,
Emilio Pucci,
Dior,
Fendi,
Louis Vuitton and
Prada.
There are three basic scarf shapes: square, triangular and rectangular.
See also
*
Headscarf
*
Shawl
A shawl (from fa, شال ''shāl'',) is a simple item of clothing from Kashmir, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often folded ...
*
Bandana
A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purpo ...
References
{{Clothing
19th-century fashion
20th-century fashion
Winter clothes