Carré on

The latest silk riding scarf by Hermès reminds us that however you choose to wear it, the carré is always a shortcut to chic

Words by Kim Parker

Effortlessly glamorous and timelessly elegant, the silk scarf has been a quintessential wardrobe staple for almost a century. And one house has elevated these luxurious accessories to almost legendary status: Hermès. Ever since Robert Dumas, a member of the Hermès clan, introduced the maison’s first silk scarf in 1937 – it was printed with horse-drawn omnibuses and christened the carré because of its square shape – they have adorned the heads and necks of fashion plates and First Ladies alike. Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Brigitte Bardot liked to protect their coiffures with their carrés, while the late Queen rarely went riding without one (her favourite, featuring a design dedicated to Buckingham Palace’s stables, was laid across the saddle of her beloved pony, Emma, during Her Majesty’s funeral procession last autumn). Grace Kelly once fashioned her carré into an impromptu sling after injuring her arm in 1959. Meanwhile, Audrey Hepburn wore hers knotted in a variety of different ways, famously declaring: “When I wear a silk scarf, I never feel so definitely like a woman, a beautiful woman.” Perhaps owing to its blank canvas-like quality, the carré has also been used to showcase Hermès’ collaborations with artists such as Alice Shirley, Ugo Gattoni and Virginie Jamin. For spring/summer 2023, the house has recruited the Greek artist Elias Kafouros, whose puzzle-like work draws on inspirations as diverse as pop culture, Renaissance paintings and Buddhist meditation mandalas. Available in seven different colourways, Kafouros’ whimsical new “Chevaloscope” carré (pictured above) features 16 illustrated horse heads presented on “paper” squares, as if torn from his sketchbook (priced at £415, it’s available from hermes.com). Each horse’s profile is constructed from an array of leisure activities, including musical instruments, sewing tools, and even a hot air balloon. As for the best way to wear it, take a leaf from this season’s catwalks and twist it into a skinny neck scarf, channelling the rock-and-roll insouciance of Kate Moss or Mick Jagger. It looks as chic with a race-day dress as it does with a T-shirt and jeans.

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