Versailles Palace Chiffon Scarf

DESIGNER'S NOTES

A Fox & Chave silk chiffon scarf with floral design with peacock feathers and ribbons from a wallpaper design created for the opulent Palace of Versailles, just outside Paris created for the 'Sun King' Louis XIV of France.

Wallpaper at the Palace of Versailles reflected the opulence and evolving tastes of French aristocracy from the 17th century onwards. While early interiors relied heavily on tapestries and painted panels, wallpapers began to appear in the 18th century as luxurious decorative elements featuring intricate floral patterns, pastoral scenes, and mythological motifs.

These papers were hand-painted or block-printed, often imported from France’s renowned manufacturers such as those in Saint-Gobain.

Designs at Versailles balanced lavish ornamentation with harmony, complementing gilded mouldings and frescoes. It served both aesthetic and symbolic functions, reinforcing the monarchy’s power and refinement. Though less preserved than other decorative arts in the palace, surviving examples reveal early trends that influenced European interior design well into the 19th century.

COLOURS

STYLING

There are many ways to style a Fox & Chave chiffon silk scarf including the basic drape, belted drape and reverse drape. Our chiffon silk scarfs look really good worn in the bandit knot or faux infinity style too. More scarf styling ideas are available in this wonderful How to Tie a Scarf book.