best scarves

A world of traditional parang motifs decorates the body of this silk wrap scarf, featuring a design by Yuni Kristina. Historically reserved for Javanese royalty, the beauty of parang is available in tones of mandarin and ivory. Yuni decorates the scarf with the batik method, using hand-carved wood blocks to stamp the motifs in a wax resist before applying the colorful dyes. Long, delicate fringes complete the scarf at each end.

Discover the allure of handcrafted beauty with this sublime cotton scarf designed by Liliana Barquero. Its mesmerizing pink and ivory stripes weave a tale of tradition and style while the sumptuous texture speaks volumes about its quality. Lovingly created by Salvadoran artisans on time-honored looms, this versatile accessory effortlessly transitions from day to night. The playful fringes on both ends seal the deal, making this scarf an irresistible addition to your wardrobe.

Originated by the Akan peoples of Ghana, colorful kente cloth is the best-known of all African textiles. Kente is woven by hand in strips, which is how it came by its name (kente means "basket" in the Ashanti dialect). Ghana's Rachel Armah creates this colorful cotton blend scarf in cheerful shades of blue, pink and cream. The scarf's width allows it to double as a shawl.

In kente cloth, each color has a symbolic meaning: black symbolizes maturation and intensified spiritual energy; blue signifies peacefulness, harmony and love; green symbolizes vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, and spiritual renewal; gold represents royalty, wealth, high status, glory, and spiritual purity; grey is for healing and cleansing rituals; maroon signifies the color of mother earth, associated with healing; pink and purple are associated with the female essence and female aspects of life; red symbolizes political and spiritual moods, bloodshed, sacrificial rites and death; silver is associated with the moon and represents serenity, purity, and joy; white is for purification, sanctification rites and festive occasions; and yellow represents preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, and beauty.