Indispensable accessories and sought-after collectors' items, scarves were an important innovation in 20th-century fashion. From Art Deco through 1950s Hollywood, the Swinging Sixties and beyond, scarves have been represented in every major decorative arts movement over the past century and into the present one.

This marvellously illustrated compendium showcases the work of a wide range of international designers: Paul Poiret, Elsa Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, Mary Quant, Gucci, Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent, Zandra Rhodes, Nicole Miller, and many more. It features more than 250 scarves, beautifully reproduced in colour and all specially photographed, and many never before seen in print.