The Edit — Accessories
Silk Scarves: Momme Weight Is the Only Number That Matters
Two scarves can both say 100% silk and behave completely differently. Momme — the weight of the weave — is what you are actually buying, and most listings omit it.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick. How we choose
Momme — pronounced mommy — is the weight of silk, measured as the pounds a specific bolt size weighs. It is the single most predictive number in this category and roughly half of listings omit it.
What the numbers mean
At 12 momme silk is translucent and creases where it folds. At 16 it starts to drape. At 19 to 22 it has the weight that makes a scarf sit on a shoulder rather than slide off it.
The hem tells you the rest
A hand-rolled hem is turned and stitched by hand — around 40 minutes of work on a large square, and visible from the back as a soft raised edge. A machine-serged edge is overlocked in seconds and lies flat.
The difference shows up over time rather than on arrival. A serged edge is a cut edge held by thread, so it frays from the corners once that stitching wears. A rolled edge encloses the raw edge inside the fold, which is why Hermès, Ferragamo and Liberty still roll by hand at this price.
Turn a scarf over before you buy it. The hem is the one construction detail you can actually see in a photograph.
What a scarf should cost
At 19 momme with a hand-rolled hem, the materials and labour put a floor somewhere around $70. Below that something has been cut, and it is usually the hem. Above about $200 you are paying for the print licence and the name — which is a legitimate thing to buy, but it is not more silk.
The same split runs through accessories generally; we take it apart on handbags in what makes a handbag worth the money.