Patchwork four-sided scarves: one 140 x 140 cm square, four prints

How the print families work

The four panels are never random. Each scarf pairs designs that were drawn to sit next to each other, and the same handful of families comes back again and again. Knowing which one you are looking at makes the choice much quicker.

Reading a four-sided scarf before you buy

Look at where the four panels meet. When two neighbouring designs share a colour, the square holds together whatever way you fold it. When they do not, you get a deliberate break, which works beautifully knotted at the neck and much less well rolled into a narrow headband.

Fabric varies from model to model across this selection: viscose, viscose and cotton, and polyester all appear. Two squares that look alike can feel quite different in the hand, so it is worth reading the fabric and the care instructions on the product page before you order.

Wearing a 140 cm square

At this size the square is genuinely versatile. Folded corner to corner it covers the shoulders like a light shawl. Rolled lengthways it becomes a headband or a hatband. Tied short at the throat it sits like a neckerchief, and looped once through a bag handle it reads as a flash of colour rather than a print.

Bear in mind that the tighter you roll it, the less of the patchwork idea survives. If you mostly wear scarves in your hair, pick a square whose four panels stay in the same colour family.

Where else to look

If you would rather have a single design running edge to edge, the all-over printed squares take a different approach to the same shape.

For flat colour with no print at all, plain cotton bandanas fold smaller and work well at the wrist.

The wider women's scarf range also covers long shapes, for anyone who wants something to wrap rather than knot.