Simon's favourite ever scarf, available for the first time in his favourite colours.
The 'Arran' model of scarves from Scottish weavers Begg & Co has long been Simon's favourite. He's worn them for years on Permanent Style, and rhapsodised about their luxurious softness and ripple finish. And about how they've aged in that time.
But Begg never offered a dark navy, as would compliment menswear clothes like blazers and double-breasted overcoats. They also discontinued his favourite shade of olive green.
So this year, Simon decided to offer them himself, asking Begg to weave an Arran in a darker navy and that green - a shade they call 'Army'.
Simon also elected to do so in a shorter length than standard. As he says: "I wear scarves with a jacket a lot. But unless you use a rather complicated knot, most scarves stick out some way below the bottom of a jacket. Even when tied, they protrude below the waist button like some kind of weird sporran."
Arguing the slightly shorter length is easier to wear and just as practical, Simon also points out that it makes this most luxurious of scarves a bit more affordable: £180 rather than the £260 of Begg's full-size Arran.
The reasons the Arran has always been Simon's favourite are the quality of the cashmere used, the density of the weave and that 'ripple' finish.
That finish is created by brushing a rack of dried plants called teasels carefully across the surface. It can be done with a textured metal plate, but the effect loses some of the natural variation of the plant heads. Other mills also use teasels but - for him - the effect never seems as nice
The scarf is 100% cashmere, woven by Begg & Co in Ayr, Scotland, and Measures 30cm by 160cm. It is only available through the PS shop, not through Begg & Co - but they offer the same quality in other colours.
What customers say:
"The quality is wonderful and the size works just as described. Texture is something that’s easy to overlook (and hard to evaluate) when shopping online, but it’s often the most obvious indication of quality."
"My olive scarf arrived this morning – it is gorgeous, a subtle and rich colour. The beautiful soft handle and silky texture, with that lovely rippled finish, is just amazing! I don’t need any more scarves but I find myself very tempted to get the navy version, too…"
"The standout out feature though is the cashmere itself. That sheen, shimmer and almost zig zag play of light on fabric, the “density” and simultaneous lightness, the softness and, when worn today for the first time (olive), warmth and cocooning effect are wonderful."
