A scarf—which can come in a multitude of shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, and materials—adds an elegant flourish to almost any ensemble. Like most fashion accessories, scarves have utilitarian origins, used to wipe away sweat and dirt, protect the head or mouth, or keep the neck warm. Particular patterns and colors in scarves have been used to mark military rank, religious and political affiliations, membership in a club such as Boy Scouts, or allegiance to a sports team.
Around 1660, French men took to wearing small, light scarves around the neck and calling them "cravats." Thanks to Queen Victoria, scarves worn as embellishment—and a signal of wealth and privilege—grew popular for women and men in England in the mid-19th century.
In 1937, French fashion house Hermès introduced its famous silk scarves, hand-stitched and hand-printed with a wide variety of motifs—from coats of arms, equestrian themes, and 1...
Other sought-after vintage scarves are made of silk, cotton, and wools like cashmere, and include designs by Emilio Pucci, Givenchy, Chanel, and Burberry (particularly in the company's trademark Burberry Check pattern and gabardine fabric).
Interviews & Articles
Vera Neumann, the Woman of Many Scarves

. What woman’s name comes to mind when you think of vintage scarves? If you said "Vera," you are not alone. Vera Neumann … [more]
Purse Perfection: Judith Leiber on Faberge, Rhinestones, and Her Favorite First Ladies

When I was a girl, my mother had a lot of wonderful handbags. My dad traveled often in Western Europe. Every time he came home he … [more]
Dress Hound Cherie Federau Explains How She Makes Vintage Work for Her

I’ve pretty much always been a little bit fashion-nutty, ever since I was about 16 years old and I discovered Vogue. I started lik… [more]
Good Girls and Bad Boys: How to Achieve That Cool '50s Rockabilly Look

Jayne Mansfield is buried in my hometown. You could drive past the cemetery and see her heart-shaped headstone from the road. We h… [more]
Abigail Rutherford on the History of Vintage Handbags and the Rise of Women's Rights

Even as a young girl, I was interested in the historical aspect of handbags. I probably started collecting in high school when I b… [more]
Leading the Charge Against Casual Style, Armed With Antique Clothes and a Bike

Tziporah Salamon is used to being photographed—by everyone from New York City tourists to famous "New York Times" street-fashion p… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
MyVintageVogue

The history of 20th-century women’s fashion largely played out in the pages of magazines such as “Harper’s Ba… [read review or visit site]
Ventagli.org

Anna Checcoli's homage to the beauty and art of hand fans ('ventagli,' in Italian). Use the left-hand nav to browse… [read review or visit site]
Fashion Columbia Study Collection

The Fashion Columbia Study Collection (FCSC) is the digital home of the Columbia College Chicago’s fashion archiv… [read review or visit site]
Antiquespectacles.com

Dr. David Fleishman's comprehensive spectacles site (over 3500 images), in collaboration with museums around the wo… [read review or visit site]
1960s Fashion and Textiles

Put on your go-go boots and check out this wavy, groovy tribute to 1960s fashion and textiles, courtesy of the Vict… [read review or visit site]
Vintage Fashion Guild

While primarily designed to steer buyers to online vintage clothing shops, this blog is chock full of interesting, … [read review or visit site]
Fashion-Era

Bursting at the seams with content, this site contains hundreds of pages of fashion and costume history, including … [read review or visit site]
The Antique Corset Gallery

Take a deep breath, and check out this sparse, simple, and beautifully designed site showcasing 250 years of corset… [read review or visit site]
If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men's Pants
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: My Afternoon with the Ace of Swords
'The Great Gatsby' Still Gets Flappers Wrong
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
Forget TV Pickers, Meet the Real Mavericks of the Antiques World
Coveting The Craziest Cat-People Collectibles

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