Shawl thing: the surprising rise in tiny scarves

Usually, miniature things in fashion are known for their cuteness rather than their practicality. Think a teeny-tiny bag that can hold little more than a bank card. But now, the knitted micro-scarf is emerging as an absurd yet functional must-have.

Triangular in shape, one of the bestselling patterns on PetiteKnit, the site of Danish knitwear designer Mette Wendelboe Okkels, is for a scarf that measures just 80cm x 13cm, covering just a small portion of the glands of the neck. The Ukrainian knitwear store AnnaGriHandmade has an even tinier version of this style, measuring 68cm x 8cm.

It’s a sizeable shift from the giant scarves that have, until now, been swaddling necks. The instigator of that trend was the Swedish brand Acne Studios, which unveiled its gargantuan version in 2019. Measuring 250cm in length, these huge scarves – which have been duped many times over – can be wrapped around the neck twice, with the two ends still trailing.

Kate Kingham, who runs the knitwear brand Lucky Stitch, says her customers prefer the micro-scarf’s versatility. “They are neat and can be worn indoors as well as outside,” says Kingham, who hand-knits each scarf in Brighton. Her stock sells out within minutes when she launches weekly drops on her Etsy store. “A wool neckerchief is easy to fold or roll and pop in a pocket or bag, in case of chilly weather on the go.”

Much like last year’s trend of wearing a pop of red, perhaps most ubiquitously achieved by a red sock, a triangular square adds a knowing touch to a look. And while the trend may have Scandinavian roots (the Copenhagen street-style set started wearing them during fashion week in September), it is now being championed by a number of independent Scottish knitwear brands. Kiltane makes its cult miniature cashmere neck ties in Edinburgh, &Daughter makes its micro primary coloured foulards in Hawick, while Johnstons of Elgin’s gauzy triangle ties are made at its weaving mill in Elgin, on the south coast of Moray. Elsewhere, Rove Knitwear’s pointelle versions are designed in Margate and knitted in Manchester, while Cotswold Knit’s Notgrove neckerchiefs, which feature a useful pull-through design detail, are knitted in Leicestershire. The Tartan Blanket company (TBCo) has a waitlist of over a 1,000 people for its black-and-white striped version, while sales of Beyond Nine’s lamb’s wool neckerchiefs are up 286% year-on-year. The chilli-red version is sold out.

Of course, TikTok, the home of virality, has weighed in, with users offering guides on the various way to tie a micro-scarf – you would be surprised how many ways there are to wear a tiny triangle of wool – spanning everything from scout knots to bite-size balaclavas and neckerchiefs. But compared with last year’s penchant for refashioning jumpers into scarves and complicated seatbelting techniques, the mini methods are much like the scarves themselves: child’s play.

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