Not that long ago, the notion of a silk scarf conjured the lingering scent of mothballs in a grandmother’s dresser—equal parts cherished and outdated. There were, of course, flashes of Grace Kelly’s Riviera chic still woven into its legacy, but for many of us, our cultural association came courtesy of The White Lotus, where Jennifer Coolidge’s scarf prompted comparisons to Peppa Pig, not Monica Vitti.
A scarf detail from a fall 2026 Chanel couture look.
Photo: Courtesy of Sam Sussman.
Then the runways intervened. At Celine, Michael Rider is intent upon the accessory’s revival. His inaugural show, circa June 2025, took place under an enormous silk scarf “tent,” and by now, four collections in, the American in Paris has shown twill scarves looped around necks, tucked into blazers, and cascading off shoulders.
Inspired by the silk T-shirts worn as turbans at Sarah Burton’s fall 2026 Givenchy, I’ve been tying on a silk scarf kerchief-style on days when I have too much dry shampoo in my hair. I also enjoy sporting the occasional sarong or a wispily tacked-on top motivated by the tropical-office vibe that Julian Klausner has conjured at Dries Van Noten—Manhattan is an island, after all. And seeing everyone from Alexa Chung to Jennifer Lawrence in their folded foulards turned cummerbunds, it seems I’m not alone.
