The word from Paris re: shawls and how to wear them.

The following is excerpted from Passage des perles: Style over fifty. Delights, (a)musements and resources for the Elegant Age, a non-knitting blog I read. The author is often the voice of common sense in a fashion world gone nutso, although her price range, which she considers modest, is far above mine. She lives in Toronto and is in this post writing about items she purchased on a recent trip to Paris.

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2. Shawl
A fine wool from Wolff & Descourtis, supple enough for indoor wear. Their silk  and velvet pieces are divine (Nicole Kidman collects them) but too dressy for my current life. Victoria Wolff, designer and granddaughter of the founder, lectured me, "Never the point at the back." Superb quality and design from a small historic house.
Wolff & Descourtis, 18, Galerie Vivienne (2nd arr.); this passage is a treasure.

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Comments:

kmkat said...

As a knitter who intends to make some shawls, I have to know: why no point in the back, and what shape did she recommend?

Duchesse said...

kmcat: The shawl is square, and the classic fold is to bring both points together in a large triangle. But you don't WEAR the triangle so the point falls across the middle of your back. Why not? This is unspeakably dowdy, "no one wears them this way." You toss the point on one shoulder, so the whole deal is skewed. Or you fold the square into a long rectangle and wear in various ties and twists. Ooohh, a hand knit shawl sounds fabulous.

materfamilias said...

I'm a knitter who has made shawls, kmkat, and if I don't wear the point at the front (with sides flung 'round back to come over the opposite shoulder and meet in the front), I will obscure it by folding it to the long edge, then folding again for a scarf shape. I just find the point in the back too suggestive of the rocking chair. No thanks. Curious to hear the Parisienne's reasons, Duchesse.

Duchesse said...

ma: Victoria too wore a shawl with the point at the front, ends wrapped around to tie under the chin- I do this a lot in frigid Toronto as well. But in a heavier shawl it is a lot of fabric under the chin.

As for reason for no point at back: dowdy, not chic. When I tried on one melting chiffon paisley (that I still pine for) she remarked that "English ladies buy it" and that was not a compliment. Ah, the French!

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That's the word from Paris. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Comments

[Guinifer]

Is it dowdy just to want it around my neck to keep me warm?

[Cindy]

There are times at home when I will wear a smaller shawl strictly for warmth with "point at back", but not in public. Asymmetrically flung can look chic, point in back not so much (unless one were wearing a wide crinoline and draped the shawl off the shoulder - but then one would be somewhere in the 19th century).

[elizabeth]

Fab-u-lous. My skewed wearing of triangular shawls has been vindicated!

[Cookie]

A triangle of scarf over a shoulder? 1989, anyone? Someone call that Oprah woman.

Thank you for sharing, sweetie. Very interesting. I never knew stylish people lived in Canada. I am always impressed and amazed at how the ladies of Paris can do so many things with a simple scarf or shawl.

[Suzanne V. (Yarnhog)]

I've never been in the least chic and I'm not at all disturbed by that. I LOVE the point at the back--it's the only way I'll ever have an hourglass shape!

[Nora]

Huh. As with most fashion statements, it's all in the attitude, methinks. I am amazed at the shawls I'm seeing crop up in department stores - and I saw one in Target yesterday!

[Carrie]

LMAO @ English ladies buy that. Dying. Oh, that's lovely.
Interesting, I wear them however I like. My German friend wears her Swallowtail wrapped around her neck, point completely obscured. Me? I wear my Shetland triangle in whatever way covers the most of my coldness. Chic-be-damned.

[Diane T]

When possible, I avoid the point at the back because I always feel like it's an arrow saying "look at my butt". Which can draw enough attention on its own, thank you very much. Having said that, if I'm going for warmth, the point goes over whichever part of me is coldest. I do love rectangular stoles/scarves the most.

[Sheepish Annie]

Well, now I am hopelessly confused. Am I fashionable? Am I dowdy? I'm a little scared of my shawls now...

I think I'll just keep wearing the rectangular ones. That seems the safest option. I don't know what I'll do with my points should I venture towards the triangular ones!

[Chris]

I had no idea. Now I'm afraid to wear a shawl at all.

[Theresa I]

I had to jump out of my chair here at work to see where the point of my shawl had landed when I flung it on this morning.
It's at the back and and one end is wrapped over my left shoulder and held in place by a costume jewelry pin I found in my mother's jewelry box ( I inherited).
I choose to call it bohemian chic.

[Duchesse]

kmkat: Tried to e-mail you but kept getting bouncebacks. Price point is a relative- I shop at Value Village,Hermes and all points in between depending on my work situation!

Cookie: I'm happy to contribut to your education about the broader world.

[5elementknitr]

Point in the back always makes me think "Jemima Puddleduck".

[Vicki]

I have a small triangular "shawlette" that I always used to wear point-at-back -- but that point probably lands not much lower than between my shoulder blades. Lower than that, I can definitely feel the "look at my butt" sentiment. It's all about the practical -- I wear it that way to keep my shoulders and back warm!

Lately, I have been wearing another triangular-ish shawl (with very long "arms") with the point to the front (let's say, pointing to the armpit), the ends brought around and looped one over the other, then secured with a shawl pin. Love it that way, and how it brings the color closer to my face.

[Helen]

As I knit, if it's going to be nice and big and warm?? ... I alter the pattern to eliminate the point. I don't need anything pointing to my hind quarters. Seriously.