I’m Feeling the Urge to Wear a Little French Scarf

There is a moment in the film Anora when the gopnik goon Igor (Yura Borisov) offers a shivering Ani (Mikey Madison) a scarf, telling her that she won’t be warm until she covers her neck. Though it had previously been used to gag her, Ani begrudgingly accepts it.

I couldn’t help but recall the scene yesterday, when—on the first frigid, windy night in a long while—my neck was exposed. I really wished I had a scarf, but I wasn’t yearning for a giant one, à la Lenny Kravitz; I wanted something small and discreet.

Recently, while in Paris, I was struck by the unending parade of people wrapped up in colorful silk scarves. Not only was the accesory practical, protecting the neck from the cold, but it could also be used to liven up even the most basic outfit—to say nothing of combating winter ennui. I tend to drift toward neutrals, especially black, which can feel especially dreary in the cooler months. Was the answer to both the weather and my depressing color palette a little scarf?

Cameron Diaz, 1996

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Kaia Gerber, 2019

Arnold Jerocki

The little French scarf has a long history. In 1996, Cameron Diaz wore a red ascot to show her support at an AIDS Project Los Angeles event. Flash forward to 2019, and Kaia Gerber knotted a plaid scarf around her neck as she jumped from show to show during Milan Fashion Week. Even more recently, at the Hermès spring 2025 menswear show, singer Arlo Parks rocked one of the brand’s signature silk carrés around her neck.

Yet while Hermès, of course, dominates the silk scarf game, the accessory doesn’t need to break the bank. I’ve found mine in bargain bins, at flea markets, and on sites like The RealReal and Vestiaire Collective. And when the weather no longer necessitates a scarf, you can easily transform yours into a headscarf or a top. With the promise ahead of endless opportunities to wear my little French scarf, I can’t help but feel excited for the chill.

Arlo Parks

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