Ethnic scarf with golden stripes on navy blue

The gold only shows as the scarf moves

Between the off-white lines the print carries tiny gold dashes a few millimetres long. They are the only part of the design with any shine: the navy and the off-white are both matte, so the gold comes and goes as the fabric turns. Their spacing is even across the whole piece, so they read as a quiet rhythm.

An ethnic navy scarf drawn in big off-white shapes

The bands are wide and the shapes they enclose are large: a handful of triangles, diamonds and stepped forms fill the width of the scarf, where a denser print would fit a hundred small motifs. Each band turns at an angle, runs on and meets the next, so the whole drawing holds together as one network. The edges of the bands are slightly uneven rather than ruled, and their width changes from one stretch to the next.

A navy with movement in it

The blue shifts as it crosses the piece, deep as ink in places and a shade lighter in others, so the ground reads as cloth and not as flat colour. Against it the off-white bands come forward cleanly, which is what gives the piece its graphic look. Navy is the darkest element on the scarf, and everything else is read against it.

Scalloped ends and two-tone tassels

Both ends are cut in a wave: the hem runs as a row of rounded scallops, and a small tassel hangs from each point. The head of the tassel is bound in navy thread, and below it the skirt is a clear yellow gold. On the mannequin they sit at the lowest point of the piece, which is exactly where the eye ends up.

Pairing this navy scarf by fabric weight

Weight is the simplest guide here. Over a fine knit the scarf lies close to the body and the scalloped ends stay in view; over a wool coat it sits higher and fuller, and one turn round the neck is usually enough. A plain garment underneath gives the pattern the space it needs.

More prints are gathered in the full scarf selection. If a shorter piece knotted at the neck suits you better, look at the square shapes.

A closer look at this navy scarf