Did you know that Scarf can be made from various materials such as wool, linen, silk, or cotton, and is a common type of neckwear and a perennial accessory?
Scarves or scarfs are long pieces of fabric worn on or around the neck, shoulders, or head. This piece of fabric is used for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or to show support for a sports club or team. They can be made from various materials such as wool, linen, silk, or cotton. It is a common type of neckwear and a perennial accessory.
Scarves have been worn since ancient times. In 1350 BC Ancient Egypt, Queen Nefertiti is said to have worn a tightly-woven headscarf, and the Statue of Ashurnasirpal II from the 9th century BC features the emperor wearing a shawl.
In 500 BC, in Athens women sported scarves to enhance their seductive charm, while during the same period, Indian women wore them flirtatiously as headgears.
During the reign of the Chinese Emperor Cheng, from 259–210 BC, scarves made of cloth were used as military markers to identify officers or the rank of Chinese warriors. Many of the Terracotta Warriors are wearing them.
In the 1200s AD, the Egyptian Belly dancers style used a scarf-like belt tied low on the hips to highlight their body movements.
Napoleon Bonaparte found Egyptian scarves attractive and bought them as gifts for his wife. After this gift, Empress Josephine Bonaparte is believed to have acquired over 400 scarves in the following three years, costing about £80,000.
Several Christian denominations include a scarf known as a stole as part of their liturgical vestments.
In India, woollen scarves with Bandhani work adopting tie and dye technique are used commonly in Bhuj and Mandvi of the Kutch District of Gujarat State.
White Silk scarves in addition to knitted scarfs were used by pilots of early aircraft to keep oily smoke from the exhaust out of their mouths while flying.
It is said that in Saudi Arabia, wearing a head scarf was necessary to face the harsh climate and intense heat, even before Islam became their religion.
Some of the Croatian soldiers served as mercenaries with the French forces; their men's scarves were sometimes referred to as "cravats" (from the French ''cravate'', meaning "Croat") and were the precursor to the necktie. The modern British "cravat" is called an "ascot" in American English
Since at least the early 1900s, when the phenomenon of scarves began in Britain, coloured scarves have been traditional supporter wear for fans of association football teams across the world, even those in warmer climates.
Scarves are in vogue in four functional types, and these are: headscarves, neck scarves, beach scarves, and winter scarves, and are hand-painted, block-printed, dyed, embellished, embroidered, beaded, or laced.
Scarves can be tied in many ways, including the pussy-cat bow, the square knot, the cowboy bib, the ascot knot, the loop, the necktie, and the gipsy kerchief. Scarves have also been tied in various ways on the head as a headscarf, transcending time.
Printed scarves are offered internationally through high-fashion design houses. The House of Hermès which made its first scarf in 1937, has produced more than two thousand different designs and still continuing with new designs.
Source: Extracts from article in Wikipedia with my very recent inputs in January 2023
Narasipur Char
