The Twilly Scarf: One Little Ribbon, Endless Possibilities
"Furious Goose is a London-based designer brand creating bold silk scarves and accessories. We passionately believe that a little silk goes a long way.“
What is a twilly scarf?
A twilly is a long, narrow silk scarf made for tying, twisting and wrapping. Wear it around your neck, weave it through your hair, knot it around your wrist or give a favourite handbag a new lease of life.
You might also hear them called ribbon scarves, skinny scarves or narrow silk scarves. Whatever the name, it's a wonderfully simple idea: a small strip of silk that can be worn in a surprising number of ways.
At Furious Goose, we make our ribbon scarves from 100% silk twill, printed and finished in Macclesfield, England — a town with a centuries-old history of silk making. Our collections range from bold geometrics to florals and designs inspired by the River Thames, all made to bring a little colour to wherever you choose to tie them.
Browse our ribbon selection here »
The Twilly as we know it today is surprisingly young. Hermès introduced its Twilly in 2003, describing the name as a “twofold reference” to the house's silk. Twenty years later, the little ribbon had become one of its most recognisable accessories.
The name also nods to twill, the weave traditionally used to make silk scarves. Look closely at silk twill and you'll see fine diagonal ribs running across the fabric. That structure helps give the silk its characteristic combination of softness, strength and drape.
Hermès still calls its version a “Twilly silk ribbon” today: 100% silk, long, narrow and designed to be tied in all sorts of ways.
But the idea of wearing a narrow strip of fabric around your neck is much, much older.
Before the Twilly
Long before the modern twilly got its name, people were already doing inventive things with ribbons and narrow lengths of silk.
In seventeenth-century France, decorative ribbons were everywhere: tied at the neck, arranged in bows and used to add colour and flourish to otherwise formal dress. One name that survives from this period is the lavallière, named after Louise de La Vallière, mistress of Louis XIV. The term came to describe a soft necktie with broad ends, usually tied in a loose, generous bow.
The lavallière had a particularly interesting second life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It became associated with artists, writers and intellectuals and was also adopted by women at a time when ties and other traditionally masculine pieces of clothing could make quite a statement.
Fashion kept playing with the idea. Neat neck ribbons, pussy bows and long skinny scarves have all had their moment — tied primly beneath a collar in one decade and left long and loose in another.
A Young Woman Tying Her Hair, Frederick Carl FriesekeRibbon scarf
The term we tend to use at Furious Goose. Essentially, a long, slim scarf shaped like a ribbon. Ours are made from silk twill and can be worn around the neck, hair, wrist, hat, handbag — or wherever else you can persuade one to stay put.
Skinny scarf
A broader term for any particularly narrow scarf. Skinny scarves can be silk, but they can also be made from chiffon, velvet, cotton and other fabrics, and are often longer than a typical twilly.
Lavallière
This describes a style of neckwear rather than the scarf itself: something soft and flowing, tied at the neck in a loose bow with long ends. You don't need a special “lavallière scarf” to get the look — a ribbon scarf does the job beautifully.
Neck ribbon
Another useful descriptive term rather than a strictly defined type of scarf. Generally, it means a narrow ribbon or strip of fabric worn closely around the neck.
Different names. Slightly different things. Plenty of ways to wear them.
9 ways to wear a twilly scarf
This is where the fun starts. There really aren't many rules when it comes to a ribbon scarf. Knot it, wrap it, twist it, bow it — and if you find somewhere new to put it, even better.
1. Wrapped around your neck
Wrap your twilly snugly around your neck and leave the ends hanging loose at the front. It’s one of the simplest ways to wear a ribbon scarf, and a good way to let the pattern do most of the talking. Wear it over a bare neckline or tuck it neatly beneath a collar.
2. Tied in a neck bow
For something a little softer, tie your twilly into a small bow at the neck. Keep it neat and centred or turn it slightly to one side for a more relaxed look. Simple, colourful and just the right side of prim.
3. Lavallière-style
Borrow a little from the lavallière and wear your ribbon scarf beneath a shirt collar, letting the long ends fall down the front. Traditionally, a lavallière is fuller and tied into a loose bow, but a narrow silk scarf gives the idea a cleaner, more contemporary shape.
4. Around your ponytail
Tie a twilly around the base of a ponytail or bun and leave the ends to fall with your hair. It works particularly well when the scarf is doing the colour and the rest of the outfit lets it shine. If you have longer hair, a ribbon scarf can also be incorporated into a plait for a bohemian look.
5. As a headband
Fold your twilly into a slim band or leave it wide, wrap it around your head, and knot it underneath your hair. It keeps your hair out of your face and makes a considerably nicer alternative to an elastic headband. Our Thames collection adds an extra mod-London flair.
6. Wrapped around a handbag handle
Give an old favourite a change of clothes. Knot one end of the twilly at the base of a handbag handle, wrap it snugly along the length and secure the other end with another knot. You can cover the whole handle or simply tie it on and let the ends hang loose.
7. As a belt
A longer ribbon scarf makes a rather good belt. Thread it through belt loops, tie it over a dress or use it to add a flash of silk at the waist of a pair of trousers.
8. Around a hat
Wrap a twilly around the crown of a favourite hat and finish it with a knot or bow. It's an easy way to completely change the look of a plain straw, felt or sun hat — and considerably less commitment than buying another one.
9. Around your wrist
Wrap the scarf around your wrist a few times and finish with a small knot or bow. Think of it as a silk bracelet: colourful, soft and just a little bit extravagant.
Why silk twill?
Twill refers to the way the silk threads are woven, creating the tiny diagonal lines you can see when you look closely at the fabric. The weave gives silk a little more body and durability while keeping the softness and drape that make it so lovely to wear. It’s also particularly good at absorbing the signature Furious Goose brilliant colours. Rather useful when your scarf might find itself around a neck one day and a handbag the next.
Made in England
Furious Goose ribbon scarves are made from 100% silk twill and produced in Macclesfield, a Cheshire town with a silk-making history stretching back hundreds of years. Keeping production in Britain means working with skilled local makers while maintaining high standards of quality and responsible production.
Each design begins as an original Furious Goose artwork before being printed onto silk and carefully finished by hand.
Come and try one on in London
There are plenty of ways to tie a ribbon scarf — and sometimes it’s easier to experiment in front of a mirror than follow instructions on a screen.
The Furious Goose showroom is at Oxo Tower Wharf on London’s South Bank, where you can see our ribbon scarves and twillies alongside the full collection of silk scarves, pocket squares, ties and other accessories. Try a few colours, practise your knots and see what works with what you’re wearing.
And if you're not quite sure what to do with one, just ask. We’re always happy to show you a few tricks.
A little shop on the Thames
Oxo Tower Wharf sits right on the river in the heart of the South Bank. Rather than another shopping centre, it’s home to a community of independent designers and craftspeople — including jewellers, milliners, leatherworkers, shoemakers and textile designers.
You'll find Furious Goose at Studio 1.11, OXO Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, London SE1 9PH. Our little showroom is packed with colour, and because silk really needs to be seen and handled, it’s a particularly good place to choose a ribbon scarf in person.
You can also see the designs in natural light, feel the silk, try different ways of wearing them and find a colour that suits you. Far better than trying to judge everything through a screen.
How to get to the Furious Goose showroom
Oxo Tower Wharf is surprisingly easy to reach from across central London — and the walk there is rather nice too.
From Covent Garden
Around 15 minutes.
Head towards the river and cross Waterloo Bridge, then turn east and follow the South Bank towards Oxo Tower Wharf. You'll get river views along the way and arrive almost directly at the showroom.
Route from Covent Garden to the Furious Goose showroom »
From Soho and the West End
Around 25 minutes.
Take the Bakerloo Line from Oxford Circus to Waterloo, then walk along the South Bank towards Oxo Tower Wharf. You'll pass the Southbank Centre and plenty of good places to stop along the way.
Route from Soho to the Furious Goose showroom »
From Mayfair
Around 25 minutes.
Mayfair is famous for its luxury fashion houses and elegant shopping streets, particularly around Bond Street.
If you are already shopping in Mayfair, visiting Furious Goose makes an excellent addition to your day.
A good route is to take the Central Line from Bond Street to St Paul’s. From there it is an interesting walk south across the Millennium Bridge and along the Thames to Oxo Tower Wharf.
The walk offers some of the most iconic views in London, including St Paul’s Cathedral and the South Bank riverside.
Route from Mayfair to the Furious Goose showroom »
From Notting Hill
Around 45 minutes.
If you’ve been browsing Portobello Road and the boutiques of Notting Hill, it’s an easy trip across town to see us. Take the Central Line from Notting Hill Gate to St Paul’s, cross the Millennium Bridge and follow the Thames west along the South Bank to Oxo Tower Wharf.
Not a bad afternoon of London shopping.
Route from Notting Hill to the Furious Goose showroom »
Why visit in person?
A ribbon scarf is one of those accessories that makes much more sense once you start playing with it.
At the showroom you can try different ways of tying one, compare colours and prints, see how the silk catches the light and browse the wider Furious Goose collection. You can also meet the people behind the brand and hear some of the stories behind the designs.
And because they're small, light and made in Britain, ribbon scarves make a particularly easy London gift — including, of course, a gift to yourself.
FAQ (frequently asked questions)
What is a twilly scarf?
A twilly is a long, narrow silk scarf designed to be tied, wrapped and knotted. You might also hear similar styles called ribbon scarves or skinny scarves.
What size is a twilly scarf?
There isn't one standard size. Furious Goose mini ribbons scarves are 5cm wide, and range from 90cm to 112cm in length depending on the design. We also carry larger ribbons that can be styled more extravagantly.
How do you wear a twilly scarf?
Around your neck is only the beginning. A twilly can be worn as a headband, hair ribbon, wrist tie, belt or hat band, or wrapped around the handle of a handbag.
Where can I buy a twilly scarf in London?
Furious Goose makes silk ribbon scarves in Britain and has a showroom at Oxo Tower Wharf on London’s South Bank, where you can see the collection and try them on in person.
Are Furious Goose ribbon scarves made in Britain?
Yes. Furious Goose designs in London and manufactures its textile accessories in the UK, working with British textile specialists and artisans.
Explore our twillies
Small scarves, big personalities. Below, you can browse the Furious Goose collection of silk twillies and ribbon scarves, from colourful Thames-inspired designs to bold geometrics and florals.
Made from 100% silk twill and produced in Britain, they’re designed to be worn however you fancy.
