Resources for Scarf Collectors

Scarf collecting is still somewhat 'under the radar', with vintage scarves often treated as a poor relation to vintage clothing.

Few costume and fashion books deal seriously with scarves, generally dismissing them in a brief paragraph and a couple of generic illustrations. This seems lazy and most unfair, considering the scarf's enduring presence in women's wardrobes for well over a century!

The one book that I have found that covers collecting scarves in more than one page is The Scarf by Andrew Baseman. This attractive book is a "celebration of the scarf not only as a fashion statement, but as a work of art" and is based on the author's own collection of over 600 vintage and antique scarves (I'll post a full review soon). Sadly the book is out of print, however copies can still be found via Amazon.

Help may be at hand, however, as I have high hopes of Scarves, an upcoming book by Nicky Albrechtsen and Fola Solanke (to be published in the US by Thames & Hudson in May 2011). At 304 pages, it claims to be "the definitive work on scarves in the 20th century". I'll be posting a review of it as soon as I can get my hands on a copy!

Hermès collectors will be happy to have a copy of the lavish The Hermès Scarf: History & Mystique by Nadine Coleno. However, if you're looking for an illustrated inventory of every Hermès scarf design and colorway, you'll be disappointed. See our full review here.


Those interested in historic shawls will find several published resources, particularly on the subjects of Kashmiri shawls and hand knit Scottish shawl traditions (see Scarf Books and Resources).


So, pretty poor pickings regarding books, and even more surprisingly, there is, to date, very little information for scarf collectors online. A welcome exception is the Scarf Collector UK website. Run by Brenda Lever, it is a great site for inspiration and a peek at just how broad the possibilities for scarf collecting are. Brenda's extensive collection concentrates on ladies' silk scarves and covers, among many other things, designer names, sports and travel themed scarves, and even war and politics! She also an expert on Jacqmar and has some great, and otherwise very hard to find, information on the site.


As mentioned in Collecting Designer Scarves, ThePerfectRedBox.com offers an excellent Beginners Guide to Collecting Hermès Scarves.


The Wardrobe Accessories section of the designer handbag enthusiasts' PurseForum is pretty much the best place I've found (so far... I'm still looking!) for online discussions with fellow scarf wearers and collectors.


Do you know of other scarf collecting resources? If so, please let me know at lucy AT tasaram DOT com and I'll include them here. Thank you!

Asian Art Scarves

Silk Map Scarves

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Scarves



The Scarf



The Hermès Scarf
History & Mystique



Shawls
(Shire Library)



Kashmiri Shawl
From Jamavar to Paisley

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