The Look for Less: Classic Silk Scarves

Or, Things That Make You Go Hmmmm…

Hermès, Les Cles

Talbot’s Antique Key scarf, $54.

Hermès – Chasse en Inde
Talbot’s floral print scarf, $54.

Hermès scarf pictures from Luxury-Scarves.com Database.
Edited to add:
I’m in agreement with those who have commented that they’d prefer a Talbot’s scarf in an original design to one that seems to be a copy of Hermès. Here are two I particularly like.

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24 Comments

  1. But it’s NOT ‘the look’, it’s a look of trying to imitate. I’d be reasonably happy with one of the non-imitative scarves (like that Paris themed one you gave away) but never with the imitation. I’m still wearing my Les Clefs, the first pattern shown, in gray, pink, white, nearly 24 years after I bought it.

  2. That’s not cool. . . a tribute is one thing, but outright stealing? Of course the Talbots scarf will be far, far from the satisfying weight, lustre, depth of colour, etc., of the Hermes. We don’t have Talbots, but I admit that this kind of near-counterfeiting would give me pause about shopping there — is that silly-naive of me? I can’t help it — I find the blatant imitation offensive.

  3. The second is more generic; I’ve often seen a framed paisely-type design, but the first one is very, very close to a forgery or theft of intellectual property. Talbots should commission original designs.

  4. Hmmmm is right—it’s not merely that these are pretty blatant knock-offs of the Hermes line, but that the design Talbots is selling is so poorly executed…they are simply not as balanced and rhythmic in their line, ranging from monotonous in the Chasse copy, to a real pig’s dinner in the Les Clefs “homage”. Not every company can afford the heavy silk and subtle coloration of the Hermes line, but there are lots of hungry graphic artists out there who can design beautiful scarves, so why doesn’t Talbots concentrate on an original line and create a little cult following of it’s own?

  5. I don’t love the knock-offs either, but the cafe scarf is very cute. It has a nice vintage feel, and the colorway reminds me of my mom’s 1960s Franciscan dishes. I may have to find room for it in my scarf drawer

  6. Oh my, they imitate silk scarves too?? I could never ever settle for a cheap copy if scarves were my passion. Luckily they are not.

  7. That café silk/cotton has charm and whimsey. Hermes cracks down on counterfeiters, wonder why Talbots so blatantly copied.

    Fugal, the percentage who know what they’re looking at is pretty high in some circles!

  8. I am not well enough acquainted with Hermes patterns that I would recognize the Talbot Les Clefs as a copy, but I agree that it is graceless and poorly executed. I certainly wouldn’t buy it because it’s simply not very attractive.

    I love pretty scarves, and have several that I enjoy wearing, including some vintage ones from my mother.

    Am I the only one who feels it’s ridiculous to spend Hermes prices for a square of silk that will be rolled and tied and whose pattern will be noticed only by a small percentage of observers?

    Even $54 feels like a splurge to me – I’d have to like it an awful lot.

    I do like the Talbot “Walk in the Park” scarf, though.

  9. What about the 99.99999% of the population that doesn’t know what a Hermes scarf is? Sometimes “knowledge” is a curse!

  10. When I wasn’t looking at jewelry last week in Miami, I was looking at vintage Hermes and LV handbags and vintage scarves. The going price for vintage Hermes scarves was $150. But stunning vintage Feragamo, Gucci, Celine and other brands were priced lower.
    I haven’t actually felt the weight of the non luxe scarves, but I’m partial to, not just the design, but the weight of the silk that is used by Hermes and the other top brands.

  11. So sorry, but the other Talbots scarves don´t inspire me either. I have an illusion, that if I wear a scarf, it would have to be something special, especially at this `certain age´.Name me a snob, I´m worth it;)

  12. I found you through Kalee’s blog, Une Vie Chic. I absolutely love scarves (my fiance thinks I’m dorky for it). I only own fake scarves right now. Some day, I would like to own a gorgeous silk scarf! Some day! 🙂

  13. Okay, that Les Cles scarf is the one that my poor husband has been hunting down for me for ages. I want one desperately, and I got lucky that he loves old keys so he fancies it too. Unfortunately I want a certain color and never seem to find exactly what I am looking for.

    I don’t like the copies. Period. They aren’t as well designed. If you didn’t know of the originals it would probably be no problem, you wouldn’t know the difference, but I do, and those annoy me.

    That being said, I think the last 2 are pretty. May have to look into that. But then the conscience thing of buying from a company who will blatantly copy is questionable.