Liberty scarf with gold detail black

Long enough for one loop round the neck

This one sits among the other dark-ground prints, and it is a long rectangle rather than a square. One turn is enough to settle it, both tails left at the front as the photo shows. The cloth looks fine and slightly crinkled, so it keeps the shape of a knot rather than sliding out of it. Two turns tighten it into a collar; left open on the shoulders it behaves more like a light stole.

Ecru, coral and mustard on black

Nothing on this print is spaced out. Ecru, deep coral and clear mustard blooms run edge to edge over a black ground barely lifted by dark green leaves. At arm's length they merge into a pale haze; up close, each flower keeps its own outline. That is what makes the pattern work across a room and again at conversation distance.

Raw ends, left to fray

Neither end is hemmed. The weave gives way and forms a short, uneven fringe, clearly visible in the photo, which softens the way the tails fall. Clean edges and right angles belong to a different family, the squares and snoods.

Gold flecks that come and go

Tiny gold marks sit between the flowers, scattered with no order to them. Turn the fabric and a few of them light up while others go out; nothing about the effect is fixed. That flicker is what lifts the scarf out of the plain floral bracket, and it costs nothing in extra colour.

What to wear this black liberty scarf with

A dark ground means it can sit on black without cutting the outfit in two: against a black coat, only the flowers and the gold register. Put it on an ecru jumper or a white shirt and the balance flips, the scarf becoming the darkest thing you have on. Coral and mustard get on well with raw denim and with browns; a bright pink or a true red next to them needs more thought.

The scarf at a glance