Fashion

THE HERMÈS APP

The Birkin bag may be the most coveted item of the Hermès collection, but their silk shawls are sold best. Those who know me know that I’m a collector. At the start of my career in fashion, I always brought one back when I visited Paris. And so I’ve collected quite the pile over the course of the years. I know, they’re not cheap, but they are little paintings. Anyhow, an investment I’ve never regretted.

And they’re multi-functional. You can wear them as a headscarf for a more bohemian look, as a belt through the loops of your jeans, as a bandana, a halter top (like Madonna did in the film Swept Away), or nonchalantly tied to your bag (like Cate Blanchett in the film Blue Jasmine).

I even know someone who has framed her collection. Apparently, it’s also quite popular to use them as pillowcases. Though Hermès didn’t intend this obviously. Want to know what they did intend? Check the informative and super stylishly designed (and free) app Silk Knots for a step by step manual on what to do with the shawls. Please note, even Hermès shawls are sometimes reproduced illegally. My advice? You should rather buy a real one than ten fakes.

Quality will never lose its worth, and you surely want the best of the best, right?

HOW TO DISTINGUISH A REAL ONE FROM A FAKE ONE?

The material, the real kind is made from extremely nice silk. Fake ones are usually from polyester and have a really bad quality.
The backside: a fake one’s backside is usually differently designed (or even lacks a printed back altogether).
The accent on the e: if a shawl contains any text then keep in mind to look for the dash on the e. Don’t forget that the shawl is originally a French product.
Prints: All the prints are handprinted and the seams handstitched
Size: A real Hermès shawl is 90 cm2 and weighs about 65 grammes

FUN FACTS

  • Every 25 seconds a Hermès shawl is sold somewhere in the world.
  • Grace Kelly wore it as a sling when she’d broken her arm.
  • Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Catherine Deneuve, and Queen Elizabeth are other famous admirers.
  • Since 1937, Hermès has released more than 2500 different designs. The most famous one is of course the one with the horse motif.
  • It takes about 18 months for the shawl to go from design to finished product.
  • A new collection of shawls is released twice a year.
  • Sometimes, existing designs are changed slightly and other shawls are produced in a limited edition.