In a world of complicated values, we can embrace the simple beauty of the scarf.

Whether they are knitted with wool, fringed with jewels, trimmed with lace, woven into wool challis, or spun into silk, a scarf can protect us from the soot of city streets, shield a lacquered hair-do, warm a neck or head, keep our body oils off a fur neckline, or show respect when we enter a mosque, temple, or church. Scarves can represent a political movement or a boy scout troop. A signed one from a famous fashion designer gives us status.

Tiny as a piece of silk stuck in a man’s coat pocket, or voluminous as it streams down a woman’s dress, these wondrous purveyors of light and dark, color and pattern, fly through the breeze creating a cascade of brilliance, softness, and delight.

Scarves reflect generations of cultures that created them to attract us with their luster or quiet elegance. Scarves hold our attention.