Originally, silk scarves were not used for decorative purposes, but had the main function of keeping out the cold. Around the Middle Ages, the cloth scarf, which began in Northern Europe or in ancient North France, is considered to be the ancestor of the modern silk scarf.
Between the 16th and 17th centuries, silk scarves were mainly used as headscarves, often combined with headgear. Towards the end of the 17th century, the triangular scarf, hand-embroidered with lace and gold and silver thread, was worn by European women around their arms and around their necks, knotted at the base of the neck or chest and secured with floral ornaments, serving both a warm and decorative purpose. During the heyday of the Bourbons in France, when Louis XIV was in power, the triangular scarf became an important accessory to the dress code and was standardised. High society began to embellish their clothes with the scarf, and many princes and noblemen adorned their masculinity with it.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the cravat evolved into a long scarf that could be tied around the chest and behind the back, in either thin cotton or fine linen. Later, with the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution in England, industry on the continent slowly developed and machine-made scarves were produced in large quantities.
In the 20th century, women fully exercised their wisdom in the use of silk scarves, which began to accompany women on the streets and into the workplace. The modern silk scarf really took shape in the 1920s, when silk scarves were used as a break from the traditional use of long shawls and headscarves, and techniques such as folding and knotting of neck scarves were gradually taken into account. 1930s, when square neck scarves and scarves were popularly made of silk or rayon in bold colours, and designer brands were particularly popular. In the 1960s, silk scarves became a popular accessory for clothing brands, and in the 1970s, hippie folkloric headscarves, large scarves and long shawls were popular, and in the 1990s, the retro trend returned.
