Vincent Van Gogh is pretty high on my top ten favorite artists list and who doesn't love his painting of irises? I feel very artistic when I wear this scarf. The fabric is described as being a heavier silk and that is true. It feels luxurious but it also makes the scarf a little bulky... but only compared to some of my other scarves made of thinner silk which are very lightweight. It depends on what your needs are. I wear scarves all year round for all occasions so sometimes I want a thinner fabric and sometimes thicker. I would not call this a winter scarf for a cold climate but for southern California it is just right for a cool evening. I've been wearing this for over six months. As with all my scarves, silk or otherwise, I soak them in warm water and iron very lightly.