The silk scarf exists in multitudes: here are 13 of our favourites

Here in Australia, we might have been shivering through the last few months in tracksuits, but that hasn’t stopped our sartorial senses from detecting a burgeoning trend on the opposite side of the world. Chances are, you’ve noticed it too: From luxury fashion runways to European summer holiday wardrobes to the heads of Gracie Abrams and Zoe Kravitz – silk scarves have emerged as fashion’s new favourite accessory.

Long a mainstay in wardrobes from Old Hollywood to the French Riviera, the scarf has never really gone out of style. But recently, it’s found new life not on only on necks, but at waists, hips, and hairlines.

On the SS26 runways last year, designers tapped into the scarf’s infinite styling potential – Michael Rider’s debut for Celine was something of an ode to the silk scarf, where it appeared en masse around model’s necks and shoulders. At Jacquemus, scarves were unfussy in crisp white and sky blue, and knotted like bandanas over models’ heads. At Julian Klausner’s debut menswear show for Dries Van Noten, the trend proved genderless, with longer, vibrant styles looped around waists and worn over pants. And again at Hermes, male models took to the runway with smaller, skinnier styles knotted at the neck.

Of course, it’s no longer just runways where the trend is gaining traction. The internet let out a collective sigh of admiration when Alexa Chung was spotted jazzing up a simple white-tee-and-jeans combo with the addition of a Gucci scarf, tied around her waist in something akin to a skirt-belt hybrid. Lola Tung later translated the trend for Gen Z, stepping out with a silk scarf by Coach worn low on her hips, over loose-fitting trousers and a simple tank top. Similarly, Gracie Abrams inspired a legion of bandana-wearing fans when she co-signed the trend at Glastonbury.

If you have big, scarf-shaped dreams for your summer wardrobe, we’ve got you covered. From pareos to silk styles, here are 12 worthy additions to your scarf rotation.