Scarves for Women
A scarf is the fastest way to make an outfit look considered. Ours divide into two: the silk ones, which are 100% pure silk and priced as such, and the viscose ones, which give you the same colour and drape for less. Both are cut large enough to wear as a wrap over the shoulder, not just knotted at the neck. Prints come from Europe in small runs, so yours stays yours.
Scarves for Women, in Pure Silk and in Viscose
Something Pretty sells scarves in two fabrics and labels both plainly. Anything named a silk scarf is 100% pure silk. Anything not named silk is 100% viscose, which drapes beautifully and holds print colour just as well, at a lower price. You are never guessing which one you are buying.
Every scarf is cut large enough to work as a shoulder wrap as well as a neck scarf, which is why customers who came for one end up using it as the other. The same silk runs through the rest of the range, so a scarf can be matched to a piece you already own.
How to Tell Real Silk From Silk Touch
Real silk is a natural fibre. Silk touch, silky feel and satin are polyester or viscose finished to imitate it, and South African retailers use those terms freely. If a label says silk touch, it is not silk.
Three checks that work in a shop. Silk warms to your hand within seconds and holds the warmth. Silk pulls through a ring without bulk and springs back without a crease line. Silk shows a slightly different colour depending on the angle you view it from, because the fibre is triangular and refracts light. Polyester stays cool, creases at the fold and reads the same colour from every angle.
What a Silk Scarf Should Cost in South Africa
A genuine 100% silk scarf in South Africa starts around R650 and runs well past R2,000 for artist studio pieces. Anything under about R300 is almost certainly not silk. Retailers below were checked on Google on 4 August 2026.
| Seller | What it actually is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| LEGiT | Satin, not silk | From R80 |
| Takealot | Mixed, check each listing | Varies |
| Edgars, Jo Borkett | Labelled Silk Touch, not silk | Around R299 |
| Something Pretty | 100% pure silk, European prints | Boutique |
| Ardmore Design | 100% silk, hand drawn African prints | Premium |
| CoralBloom and SILVAN | Mulberry silk, hand painted fynbos | Premium |
The South African silk scarf market splits cleanly. At the bottom, satin sold on feel. At the top, local artist studios printing proteas and wildlife. Something Pretty sits between them with European prints in real silk, which is the gap nobody else is filling.
Silk Scarves for Women
A silk scarf does something no other accessory does: it puts colour directly under your face, where it lifts your complexion and draws the eye up. That is why a silk scarf rescues a plain outfit faster than jewellery does.
Choose by what sits nearest your face rather than by what matches the outfit. Warm skin lifts under coral, rust, olive and gold. Cool skin lifts under blue, emerald, charcoal and clear pink. If you dress mostly in neutrals, one print carrying a single strong colour will do more work than several quiet ones, because the neutral outfit becomes the frame. Reversible styles give you two colourways in one piece, which is the practical choice if you travel. The full range sits in the scarf collection, with the wider silk range beside it and more on where the prints come from in this piece on our silk.
Shawls and Evening Wraps
A dressy shawl is usually called a stole or an evening wrap, and it is the piece most women realise they need about an hour before they leave. Something Pretty scarves are cut large enough to serve as one. Worn open across the shoulders over a sleeveless dress, a silk scarf covers the upper arm without the weight of a jacket and without flattening the neckline.
For something with more structure that stays on its own, a silk poncho does the same job hands free.
How to Wear a Shawl Elegantly
Keep it asymmetric. A shawl draped evenly over both shoulders reads like a blanket. Pull one side longer than the other, or take one end back over the opposite shoulder so the fabric moves with you. Let the ends fall rather than tucking them, and keep whatever is underneath narrow, a fitted top or a sleeveless dress, so the volume sits in one place. Over an evening dress, choose a scarf that picks up one colour from the dress rather than matching the whole thing. The same works over formal dresses, and at a wedding a wrap solves a cold church and a warm marquee in one piece.
Winter Scarves and Summer Scarves
Silk works in both seasons, which surprises people. In summer it sits against the skin without holding heat, so it adds colour without adding warmth. In winter it works as a base layer at the neck under a coat, where wool would bulk out the collar. Viscose behaves the same way.
If you want the same silk with more coverage across the shoulders, a silk poncho layers over a coat rather than under it. For genuine cold weather warmth you want wool or cashmere. Silk is not that fibre and no silk scarf will do that job, however good it is. Worth saying plainly rather than letting you find out in July.
Where to See the Scarves in Cape Town
All three Something Pretty stores carry the scarf range: Constantia Village, Cavendish Square and Sea Point. Colour is the one thing a screen cannot be trusted on, and a scarf is bought on colour, so it is worth seeing in person if you are near one. Addresses and hours are on our stores page, and there is more on the newest store in our Sea Point opening.
If you would rather order, delivery is free on orders over R1,500 and tracked nationwide.
Looking After a Silk Scarf
Hand wash a silk scarf in cool water with a mild detergent, or have it dry cleaned. Do not wring it. Roll it in a towel to take the water out, dry it flat away from direct sun, and press it on the lowest setting with a cloth between the iron and the silk. Stored rolled rather than folded, a silk scarf keeps its finish for years, which is most of the argument for buying real silk in the first place.
The rest of the range sits in the silk edit alongside silk skirts, with layering pieces in tops for women, the wider accessories range to finish an outfit, and denim to wear underneath in our reversible jeans piece.
Last updated: 4 August 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Something Pretty silk scarves 100% silk?
Yes. Every scarf named a silk scarf is 100% pure silk. Scarves not named silk are 100% viscose, which is stated on the product page. Something Pretty labels the fibre plainly on each scarf rather than describing it as silky or silk touch, so you always know which one you are buying.
How much should a real silk scarf cost in South Africa?
A genuine 100% silk scarf starts around R650 and runs past R2,000 for artist studio pieces. Anything under about R300 is almost certainly satin or polyester. LEGiT sells satin scarves from R80 and Edgars carries pieces labelled Silk Touch near R299, and neither is silk.
How do you tell real silk from fake silk?
Real silk warms to your hand in seconds and holds that warmth. It pulls through a ring without bulk and springs back without a crease line. It also shifts colour slightly depending on the viewing angle, because the fibre refracts light. Polyester stays cool, creases at the fold, and looks the same from every angle.
What is a dressy shawl called?
A dressy shawl is usually called a stole or an evening wrap. It is worn open across the shoulders rather than wound at the neck, and it covers the upper arm over a sleeveless dress without the weight of a jacket. Something Pretty scarves are cut large enough to be worn this way.
How do you wear a shawl elegantly?
Keep it asymmetric. Draped evenly over both shoulders a shawl reads like a blanket, so pull one side longer, or take one end back over the opposite shoulder. Let the ends fall rather than tucking them, and keep what is underneath narrow so the volume sits in one place.
Can you wear a silk scarf in summer?
Yes. Silk sits against the skin without holding heat, so it adds colour to a summer outfit without adding warmth. It also works in winter as a base layer at the neck under a coat, where wool would bulk out the collar. Silk is a rare fabric that genuinely earns its place in both seasons.
How do you wash a silk scarf?
Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent, or have it dry cleaned. Do not wring it. Roll it in a towel to remove water, dry flat out of direct sun, then press on the lowest setting with a cloth between the iron and the silk. Store it rolled rather than folded.
Do you deliver scarves across South Africa?
Yes, tracked nationwide, with free delivery on orders over R1,500. Something Pretty also ships internationally, with rates calculated at checkout. All three Cape Town stores carry the scarf range: Constantia Village, Cavendish Square and Sea Point.