Like what is the best way to care for and store my scarves?
What shall I do if the hem on my favorite scarf needs repair?
or more Inspiration behind the Scarf articles
You get the idea.
But before I tackle any of these, I wanted to share with you just how some of these scarves have impacted the lives of individuals, many times two or three generations later.
My love of these scarves started with a Bois de Boulogne in kelly green from the original issue, that I came across by pure chance. Prior to that, I did not have any interest in Hermes – NONE. To me this brand was simply too traditional, not avant garde or “hip” enough. Mind you, I was a huge fan of French designers such as Thierry Mugler, Claude Montana and let’s not forget, Azzedine Alaia, the King of Cling and a friend of Leila Menchari, who introduced her to the Parisian fashion world.
This all in the 1980s, when my brief brush with modeling and haute couture made me a firm believer, that a waist couldn’t ever be too small or shoulder pads too big. I had absolutely NO need or desire for understated anything.
I am almost tempted to include a photo from those days, but alas I talked myself right out of that…
So, back to how a little ole scarf with swans would catch my eye and make me fall in love! This “love at first sight” is still going strong, perhaps even stronger. I have a business and a blog dedicated to the Hermes carre, and over the years I have even learned to appreciate understated elegance – who would have thought???
But enough about me…
I get numerous emails, from women mostly, telling me how they inherited a scarf from their mother, grandmother or an aunt. How a lover had given this scarf as a gift, how a husband brought one back from a Paris business trip, how this was the first one that started a lifelong passion, or how a Les Poulains ended up in a horse stall in England possibly used to wipe one’s brow after a ride in the countryside…(fortunately, that scarf I am happy to report, has been “saved” and now lives happily ever after in a nice drawer somewhere)
Earlier today, I received just such an email:
This is my mother’s 1947 Ecuries scarf in the photo in the attached email.
When I inherited it, it was severely deteriorated around the beautiful rolled hem edges.My seamstress backed the scarf with silk & in doing that unwittingly covered the front of the scarf instead of the back—so now the trademark is reversed & in mirror writing. The beautiful hand rolled & sewn edges were lost in the conservation effort but at least the beautiful horses are now in a stable state (no pun intended) and the piece is no longer literally in shreds at the borders.
This scarf is very precious to me in addition to being one of my earliest childhood memories. I just wish it had been stored flat, not folded up in a drawer from 1947 until 2014. It was a gift to my mother from a dear family friend who visited Paris in the late forties. He loved Paris and had an eye for beautiful & “top drawer” things.I thought you might like to see it.
Got goosebumps reading this email.
I am amazed over and over again, how these scarves have affected lives, many times quietly in small and unassuming ways and yet they have stirred something in us, that lasts, sometimes a lifetime…or two
Good Morning! I just discovered your stories about my beloved Hèrmes scarves. I habe been collecting them since 1987! I store my scarves in their original boxes, on which I have written the name. When I get up in the morning, the first thing I choose is the scarf I want to wear this particular day. After that I combine the scarf with Some of my clothes. My favorite scarf is Les chasses Exotiques, designed by Philippe Ledoux and I am still looking for the ones with a black and red or yellow border, and also for the one with the kaki border, all with the white background. My other favoriets are Chasses Afriques and Tendresses Felines. Hermès scarves make me feel happy.
I love your stories! Love from the Netherlands! Gerdien
Dear Gerdien,
Thank you very much for your kind message. I know exactly the feeling. I love stepping into my studio and be surrounded by my scarves. Even if I have seen the same scar many times before, they still make me feel the same each and every time.
I have an old, original issue Ex Libris, that has quite a number of issues and I ironed it yesterday and I while I did I was so touched by its sheer age and history. Wondered how many women before me wore and enjoyed it.
I adore Monsieur Ledoux and love his Chasses Exotiques and the khaki colorway is definitely one of my favorites.
Thank you again, for writing me and for your encouraging words ☺
Have a wonderful day.
Kindly,
Ladi
Dear Ladi, thank you for your answer! I a was thrilled happy to receive it from a woman who adore the Hermès scarves as much as I do… please let me know if you get a scarf I mentioned and it is the one you do not want to keep yourself…. I love to read your stories Because they could be mine! Love from the Netherlands, sent to you by Gerdien!
Hello Geriden,
I will be happy to do that. And again, thank you very much 🙂
– it is wonderful to connect with women around the world!
Ladi
💋💋💋😻 I love to read your stories and I will follow you as long as a live!
🙂 THANK YOU!!!
To store my carrés, I have a special section in the closet in which they are all on hangers and then covered over with a large piece of silk to keep them dust free.
That way they are separated according to COLOUR and they do not become wrinkled.
I do 2 carrés to a hanger.
Dear Patricia,
Thank you very much for sharing. I particularly like the idea of covering the scarves with a piece of silk – a brilliant idea! 🙂
I will go out and purchase a yard or two right away, as I have mine hanging in a corner uncovered, because until now I was not sure what to cover them with as plastic was out of the question.
Again, thank you for reading my blog and for sharing.
Kind regards,
Ladi