Why I love headscarves
Headscarves have been around for thousands of years and have myriad purposes and meanings worldwide. (We won’t get into the contexts here, suffice to say you don’t have to look far to find the sensitivities related to them.)
At Trash Chic, the scarf has long been a staple item with a careful curation of pre-loved art and designer pieces created from silk, cotton, wool and manmade fibres. Some have even been used to create exquisite cushion covers.
I think of headscarves very much as a practical and cost-effective accessory – the first reason I love them. My mum had three headscarves that I particularly remember, which she wore for years. First up, a thin nylon piece in pale green that she would carefully use over the top of her hair rollers to keep them in place. She even slept in them. Can you imagine the discomfort? If it was drizzling, windy or cold, she would fold a more robust and prettier headsquare into a triangle and tie it tightly under her chin. For socialising, though, she wore a beautiful silk scarf, kept for best, to smarten up a twinset, with remarkably effective results.
I have followed in my mother’s footsteps, with a few key scarves. My favourite is a thick silk square decorated with deer purchased, from, of course, Trash Chic. Its primary use is as a neck gaiter when I am travelling by motorbike, and what I most love about the silk is that it really stands up, thermally, to the job. When I take off my helmet, and my hair literally stands on end with the static, the scarf quickly converts into a neat headwrap. No creases, no fuss, helmet-hair (yes, it’s a thing!) stylishly banished.
When the pandemic kicked off, I found creative combos of tying and twisting my 100% cotton scarves into masks. And during very hot spells I often soak a cotton scarf in water, wring it out, then tie it round my neck or head. (Actually, this may be TMI, but I even tie a damp scarf around my small dog’s girth to keep him cool, too.)
The thing I love about cotton scarves is they are washable at high temperatures with no harmful effects to the fabric, which makes them easy to re-purpose as, say, a wrapper for picnic food, a place mat, a face cloth, something to sit on, and even gift wrapping (search furoshiki online for some great ideas). In other words, headsquares are infinitely multi-use, and I’ve found it pays to carry a spare with me in a pocket or bag - 'just in case', as my mother would say.
I tend to think of headscarves, especially pre-loved, as an ethical purchase and amazing value. A good fabric – silk, cotton, occasionally linen – will literally last forever. And, as the great VW would say: ‘Buy less, choose well.’ Yip … she wore headscarves too!
Aren't headscarves old-fashioned, though? I don’t happen to think so. In fact, I’d say they are timeless, and if you don’t believe me, then look no further than style icon Audrey Hepburn with her pixie fringe and trademark sunglasses framed by a plain silk headsquare. The simplest of items transformed to perfection.
Sandra Stafford is a writer, editor and long-time Trash Chic customer.
To view TC’s range of headscarves and headscarf cushions, return to the Shop.
