Liberty scarf in raspberry with gold embellishments

A long liberty scarf in raspberry and cream

Raspberry is the colour that carries this one. The flowers are small and packed tightly together, so from a step away the scarf reads as a single warm pink, and only up close do the pale yellow and soft green petals separate out. The cream ground barely shows. That density is what makes it easy to wear with plain clothing: it behaves like one colour rather than a busy print. Cooler palettes in the same long format sit among the long printed scarves grouped in the same section.

Where the gold sits in the print

The golden-yellow in this scarf is part of the floral print, dotted among the raspberry blooms and along the stems. It warms the pink and keeps the cream from looking cold, and it is what makes navy and charcoal such easy partners: against a dark coat, those small yellow points are the first thing you notice.

Three ways to tie 180 cm of viscose

The simplest is one loop at the neck with both ends left hanging, which is how it is shown here. Fold the rectangle lengthways first and the loop sits flatter under a collar. For a looser look, drape it straight over the shoulders and let the length do the work, with no knot at all. The third is a rolled band taken once round the waist and tied at the side, which suits a plain dress better than a thick belt would.

Layering it under a coat or over a sleeveless dress

Because 100% viscose has no bulk, this scarf fits under a coat collar without lifting it, and that is where most of its wear happens between October and March. In summer it does the opposite job: thrown over a sleeveless dress, it covers the shoulders without weighing them down. Either way the fabric moves rather than holding its shape, so it falls back into place by itself after you have pulled a jumper over your head. When it gets properly cold, the snood and triangle shapes in the neighbouring section take over.

Washing and storing viscose

Viscose dislikes hot water and spinning. A hand wash at 30°C with a mild detergent is enough, then dry it flat and out of direct sun so the raspberry keeps its depth. Iron on the reverse at a low setting while the fabric is still slightly damp. Store it rolled rather than folded: this is a fibre that keeps a fold for a long time once it has been pressed in.