In cold climates, people wear woollen scarves of wool to keep them warm. In dry, dusty or heavily polluted places, people can wrap a light scarf around their head to keep their hair clean. With the development of time, this habit has become the trend dress of many women in culture.

In some countries, clothing such as scarves is a common trade item.

Scarves of various colors are also used by some Australian football fans. The scarf bears the name of the supporting football team, and fans wave and shout in the audience.