Pairing Bags and Scarves: Building a Signature Look

The women who look most put together usually aren’t wearing more than everyone else. They’re wearing the same few things in a way that reads as deliberate. Pairing a scarf with a bag is one of the easiest ways into that.

Why the pairing works

A leather bag is a solid block of colour and texture. A printed silk scarf is pattern and movement. Put together, each makes the other look better: the silk stops the bag looking plain, the leather stops the print looking busy.

It’s also the cheapest way to multiply what you own. Three scarves and one bag give you four looks.

Start with the leather

Tan. The most forgiving. Tan sits happily with almost any print, and it particularly suits warm colours: russets, greens, soft reds. Our guide to styling a tan leather handbag covers the bag side.

Darker browns. Richer and more formal. Deeper print colours work better here than pale ones, which can look washed out against dark leather.

Black. Takes the most contrast. A bright or high-contrast print has real impact against black in a way it doesn’t against tan.

Our guide to choosing your perfect shade covers the leather options.

Then the print

Our prints each have a character, and that’s what to match to the occasion rather than matching colours exactly:

• The Hunting Field and The Hunting Fox are the country prints, and they sit naturally with tan and saddle leathers
• Run Rabbit is lighter in feel and works well for daytime
• Strawberry Fields and Blackberry Dreams bring fruit tones that pick up warm leather beautifully

The thing to avoid is matching too precisely. A print that exactly matches the bag looks like a set bought together. A print that shares one or two tones looks chosen.

Twilly or full scarf

A twilly on the bag, and a full scarf at your neck, is the classic arrangement. See our guide to the twilly scarf.

A full scarf tied to the bag is bolder, with more silk on show, and suits a larger bag.

Both in the same print is a stronger statement, and it works if the rest of the outfit is quiet.

Neither matching is entirely legitimate too. A country print on the bag and a plain coat is a complete look.

Building the signature

A signature look is really just a few things you return to. Practically:

1. One bag you use constantly. Our guide to which Harriet Warrilow bag is right for you helps narrow it down
2. Two or three scarves that carry the colours you already wear
3. A consistent metal across bag hardware and jewellery. See leather bag hardware
4. Rotate the scarf, not the bag. The bag ages into something yours; the scarf changes the register

Occasions

Everyday. A twilly on the handle, nothing else needed.

Work. Scarf at the neck, bag plain. Keeps the print near your face where it does most.

Races and country events. This is where both together earns its place. Our guide to the perfect handbag for the races covers the occasion.

Evening. A silk scarf tied to a small bag takes a daytime bag out after dark without changing anything else.

Browse the collection

See our handbags and scarves.

Frequently asked questions