Practical? No. Cute? Yes.
Last autumn and winter, we saw the resurrection of one of the most useless accessories. The only scarf not even attempting to keep you warm: the skinny scarf. While most of us believed that this slinky scarf had been left behind in the 2000s, along with the thinly plucked eyebrows and skirts over leggings, it seems the skinny scarves are back. The trend had the girls in a chokehold last year and, now, I predict its ‘re-return’ this year. So here is all you need to know about this very Exetah fashion piece.
Though the skinny scarf’s origin can be traced back to the 1970s hippie and disco movements (often when the scarf was fashioned as a necktie) this trend is considered to have been taken from the pits of the iconic 2000s. For y2k fashion is always rearing its crimped-haired head – whether we like it or not – just look at Sabrina Carpenter rocking capri pantsas her Short n’ Sweet Tour commenced.
The scarf took centre stage in the spotlight around 2004-2005, appearing in myriad fashion shows, including Chloë, Marc Jacobs and Dior – making the regular-sized scarves ever so jealous. At the same time, this accessory was brandished by the likes of Kate Moss and Mary-Kate Olsen. The iconic Kate Moss, in fact, was the one who took the skinny scarf to lionized celebrity status.
The skinny scarf, although it’s an utterly ineffective piece of fabric, adds a chic, feminine touch to autumnal outfits. Though it is labelled a ‘microtrend’, the scarf’s popularity has continually undulated throughout the modern fashion world. And so, I predict the neckwear piece gaining more traction to earn ‘macrotrend’ status.
Last year, the likes of Olivia O’Neill, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratkowski were seen sporting these titchy tatters of fabrics around their necks. This June, Emily Ratajkowski was photographed at the Gurls Talk Fundraising Gala in London wearing a “thin useless scarf” as Vogue christened the accessory. Instagram influencers such as the Scandi, minimalist style icon, Matilda Djerf and model Elsa Hosk have also captured snaps of themselves styling the skinny scarf.
If low-rise jeans came back from the 2000s, then the skinny scarf is here to stay. I expect to see flocks of girls around campus, armoured with some hefty, chunky silver rings, tying their outfit together with this very Exetah staple this season.