Ethnic Scarf with Stars and Polka Dots in Raspberry Pink

A long raspberry scarf in two prints

At 110x180cm this is a proper rectangle rather than a neckerchief, and the length is what makes the two prints usable: fold it and only one of them shows, open it out and you get both. The pink reads soft at the top and much stronger at the bottom, so the scarf changes character depending on which end you leave forward. The same cut turns up in other designs throughout the rest of the printed scarf range.

Stars on top, spots below: how the print is laid out

Up top, small white stars cover a pink ground so densely that from a few steps back the panel reads as a weave rather than a print. Lower down the ground deepens to raspberry and the scale jumps: large white spots, widely spaced. Between the two halves, and around the outside, runs an ivory band crossed by fine beige stripes, and it is that band which keeps the two prints from fighting each other.

Pairing the pink with the rest of your wardrobe

Pink of this strength is easier to place than it looks. Against white, pale grey or denim it does the lifting on its own; next to navy it stays bright without turning sweet. The ivory and beige bands are the part that quietly earns its keep, because they give the scarf a neutral to hang on to and let it sit beside camel, cream and tan without a clash. Over a dark winter coat it is the raspberry end that does the work, so leave that half forward.

Rectangle or square?

A rectangle this long is made for wrapping, draping and knotting loosely; it will not fold down into a neat triangle at the throat. If that is the shape you had in mind, look instead at the square format in the same range, which folds down small enough to knot at the throat or tie as a headband. The two do different jobs, and most wardrobes end up with one of each.