Twillys are the narrow ones, and the first test is where you will actually tie them. If the answer is a bag handle, a ponytail or a belt loop, a ribbon beats a full square every time, and it takes up no room in a pocket.

 

The Chevaux en Liberte in white and gray is the easiest, and it looks good with a plain denim jacket. The Rewilding Nature in black and green is the one for a dark coat. The Jockey Long is embroidered, pink with red lining, so it has more weight and texture than the printed ribbons. The Academia Hippica in pale pink and the Boucles et Maillons in pink and yellow are lighter and sweeter, and I would wrap either one twice around a wrist. The Turf, Les Courses in deep teal is for anyone who finds pink a little much. The Bandana Leather Fringes is green and white with leather fringes, which makes it a bag charm more than a neck piece.

 

The Portrait de Boucle is a 45 cm square, tiny, with a pink buckle on an orange border. It is a good way into a Hermès scarf if a big carré feels like too much fabric. The other small ones are the Amis pour la Vie, the Grand Tralala and the Palonniers, all 45 cm, and the Jockey 55 is a touch bigger if you want a neckerchief.

 

What I would skip: a Twilly worn as a neck scarf on a high collar. It bunches. Keep it at the bag or the wrist.

 

In the fitting room, or at your own mirror, tug the ribbon gently. The edge should be neat and the print crisp, with no pulled threads.

Size changes everything, so lay the piece flat before you decide. A 70 cm carré is a neat neck piece. A 140 cm shawl is a wrap, and it should feel like a small blanket.

 

The 70s are smaller, easier to tie and a little more playful. The Pony Pit Stop is a pastel stable scene that I would wear with a gray sweater. The Champ de Courses a Chantilly in ivory and green has jockey silks and laurel round the edge. The Les Roues de Phaeton in ecru and navy is the most graphic, all carriage wheels, and I would pair it with a striped top. The L'Enseigne du Sellier is a brown wrought-iron saddler's sign on ecru, a quiet nod to where the house started. The Jockey 70 in cashmere and silk is a touch warmer than the silk-only ones.

 

The shawls are cashmere and silk, 70 and 30 percent. The Selle de Collection has a big golden-brown saddle with jeweled corners. The Grand Apparat is an ecru bandana-style shawl with an orange border and carriage-horse medallions. The Flamingo Party Tattoo is the loudest, dense with flamingos and tropical leaves, and I would wear it over a plain black coat. The Mors a Jouets is a pleated bandana shawl, La Nouvelle Cite Cavaliere is a tonal pink map of a city with a rearing horse, the Flagship has a sailing ship in the middle, and the Les Leopards triangle is the one to fold once and wear over a coat.

 

What I would skip: the big shawl as a scarf-style knot at the neck. It is made to drape, so let it fall over one shoulder.

 

Check the weight when you hold it. A good shawl should drop straight from your hand, with no stiffness.

I would begin with the pre-owned pair, because each one has a stated condition rating. Check that the hem is hand-rolled and even, that the colors are bright, and that the silk feels smooth, with no snags, stains or perfume smell. Ask for any papers or box that come with it.

 

Then I would pick by how I dress. A Twilly if my outfits are plain and need a small spark, a 90 cm carré if I want to learn to tie it five ways, a shawl if I want one big piece for winter.

 

Grace Kelly famously used hers as a sling for an injured arm. I like that a thing this pretty was also meant to be used. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together How to Wear a Handkerchief Scarf and The Head Scarf Solves Three Problems At Once.