How to Wear a Shawl: From the Shoulders to the Sofa

To wear one, fold it into a triangle, lay it across your shoulders and let the point fall down your back. From that first drape you can knot it at the front, wrap it at the neck like a scarf, wear it over a coat, tie it at the waist, or take it off and spread it over your knees on the sofa.

How to wear a shawl comes down to three decisions: how you fold it, where you knot it, and what you wear beneath it. Below is how we wear our own woven shawls, from a cold morning walk to a long evening at home.

Key takeaways

• Fold a square shawl into a triangle for the classic drape, or into a long band to wear it like a scarf.
• A loose knot at the front or the side holds the shawl in place and keeps your hands free.
• Over a coat, choose a large shawl and let it sit high on the shoulders.
• Air a wool and silk shawl between wears, and follow the care label before you wash it.

Shawl vs scarf: what makes a shawl different

A shawl is larger than a scarf, and it is made to cover the shoulders and the upper back as well as the neck. Ours are square, which gives them two personalities: folded on the diagonal, they become a generous triangle; folded in strips, they become a long, warm band.

The classic Rabbit shawl has been one of our best sellers since the Klaus Haapaniemi collection was launched, and it comes in four muted colour combinations. The Rabbit Dark Blue shawl is woven with fine lambswool and silk, which gives it the warmth of wool with a delicate, silky texture. On a deep navy ground, pale hares leap in mirrored pairs among berry-red and green flowers, framed by a pink woven edge. It measures 150 x 150 cm, with hand-knotted fringes on two sides.

Our smaller shawls measure 120 x 120 cm and carry hand-knotted fringes on all four sides. They are lighter around the neck, easier to tie, and a good first shawl if you mostly wear one as a scarf. You can see every design in our collection of woven shawls.

How to fold a shawl before you wear it

Almost every way to wear a square shawl starts with one of two folds.

• The triangle. Bring one corner to the opposite corner. A 150 cm square gives a long edge of about 212 cm, enough to drape, cross and knot. A 120 cm square gives about 170 cm.
• The long band. Fold the square into a triangle, then roll or fold it from the long edge towards the point until it is the width you want. This turns a shawl into a scarf with the depth of several layers of wool.

Before you fold, shake the shawl out and look at the print. With a design like the Rabbit, the hares and flowers sit in a mirrored pattern, so choose which motif falls at the centre of your back or at your throat.

Ways to wear a shawl over the shoulders

These are the drapes we come back to most, from the simplest to the most deliberate.

1. The classic drape. Fold the shawl into a triangle and lay it over your shoulders with the point at the centre of your back. Let the two ends hang loose at the front. This is how a shawl is worn over a dress or a fine knit indoors.
2. The crossed drape. Start with the classic drape, then cross the ends over your chest and tuck them under your arms or into a belt. The shawl becomes a warm, close layer that stays put as you move.
3. The one-shoulder throw. Hold the triangle at the front, wrap it around your shoulders, and throw one end back over the opposite shoulder. The fringe falls down your back and the print sits across your chest.
4. The pinned drape. Lay the shawl over your shoulders and fasten the two ends with a large brooch or a kilt pin. It works well over a jacket, where a knot would feel bulky.

How to tie a shawl

A knot changes the character of a shawl. Tied at the front, it looks considered and keeps both hands free.

• The front knot. Drape the triangle over your shoulders and tie the two ends in a loose single knot just below the collarbone. Leave the knot soft, so the wool sits in folds.
• The side knot. Tie the ends at one shoulder, with the point of the triangle falling across the opposite arm. This is a good choice over a coat, where it frames the collar.
• The neckerchief. Fold a smaller shawl into a triangle, place the point at the front of your chest, cross the ends behind your neck and bring them forward again to tie under the chin or at the side. The fringe frames the face, and the print sits like a bib over a jacket or knit. The Bee shawl, with its bees and flowers in light tones on a blush ground, is a lovely size for this.
• The scarf wrap. Fold the shawl into a long band, loop it once around your neck and leave both ends hanging at the front. For more warmth, wrap it twice and tuck the ends inside.

How to wear a shawl with a coat

In late autumn and winter, a shawl and a coat work as a pair. There are two ways to combine them.

Under a coat, fold the shawl into a long band, wrap it at the neck and button your coat over it. The shawl fills the collar with warmth and colour, and the fringe shows at the front. This suits a fitted coat, where a full drape would crowd the shoulders.

Over a coat, a large shawl comes into its own. Fold a 150 cm shawl into a triangle, lay it high on the shoulders over a plain wool coat, and knot it at the side or fasten it with a brooch. The coat becomes a quiet backdrop, and the woven hares and flowers become the outfit. Keep the coat a single colour, ideally one pulled from the shawl: the deep navy of the Rabbit Dark Blue, or the plum that runs through the Rabbit Blueberry shawl, which has a grey ground with blueberry-blue and plum flowers.

How to style a shawl with print

A patterned shawl is a statement, and the outfit around it can be calm or just as rich. A few principles help:

• Repeat one colour. Pick a shade from the shawl and carry it into your knitwear, your trousers or your lipstick.
• Mind the scale. A large woven motif looks good beside smaller prints or plain fabric.
• Layer print on print with care. A wool shawl knotted at the side over an open silk kimono brings warmth to a printed outfit in the colder months, and the print still shows. Our kimonos are pure silk.

For more on wearing a printed piece from morning to evening, read our guide on how to wear a kimono.

In the evening, wear a shawl in the classic drape over a dress, with the ends loose. At a winter wedding or a dinner, it is a warmer and softer choice than a jacket, and it comes off easily when the room warms up.

Wearing a shawl at home

Our shawls are made to be worn and lived with. At home, a shawl becomes a house garment: wrapped around your shoulders at the desk on a cold morning, or spread over your knees on the sofa with a book in the evening. Folded over the back of a chair, it adds colour and pattern to a room when you are not wearing it.

Looking after a wool and silk shawl

A woven shawl lasts for years with gentle care. Wool and silk are both natural fibres, and they often need nothing more than an airing: hang the shawl outdoors or by an open window for a few hours and it will feel fresh again.

When it does need cleaning, follow the care label on your shawl. As a general rule for fine wool and silk, gentle hand washing in cool water or professional dry cleaning is safer than a washing machine. Avoid wringing or rubbing the fabric. Press the water out, then dry the shawl flat on a towel, away from direct heat.

Comb the hand-knotted fringes gently with your fingers to keep them from tangling. Store the shawl folded in a drawer or on a wide shelf, away from strong sunlight, and add cedar or lavender to protect the wool from moths.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a wrap and a shawl?

The two words overlap, and many people use them for the same garment. In general, a wrap is a long rectangle worn around the shoulders or the body, while a shawl can be square, triangular or rectangular and is cut to cover the shoulders and the upper back. A square shawl folded into a long band can be worn as a wrap.

How do you tie a shawl around your waist?

Fold the shawl into a triangle. Hold the long edge at your waist with the point hanging down over one hip, bring the two ends around to the opposite side and tie them in a secure knot at the hip. The shawl falls like a sarong over a swimsuit, a dress or wide trousers.

How do you wear a wrap?

Hold the wrap behind your back at shoulder height and bring both ends forward over your arms or shoulders. Leave them loose, cross them over your chest, or throw one end back over the opposite shoulder for more warmth. A belt at the waist keeps a long wrap in place over a coat or a dress.

How do you properly wear a scarf?

Fold it to suit the weather. In the cold, wrap a long scarf twice around your neck and tuck the ends in. In milder weather, loop it once and let the ends hang. A large woven shawl folded into a band does the same work with more warmth, and for lighter days our printed silk scarves give the same colour in a finer fabric.

Find your shawl

Choose a shawl in a colour you love, fold it into a triangle and start with the classic drape. Once you know how to wear a shawl in three or four ways, it will travel with you from the coat rack to the sofa all winter. Explore our woven shawls, each one designed with a story to tell.

Klaus Haapaniemi & Co. is a Finnish design house that designs, prints and produces its own homeware and clothing, founded in 2010 by designer Mia Wallenius and artist Klaus Haapaniemi.