New York and London's Best-Dressed Agree: This Elegant Accessory Is the Secret to Looking Expensive

Those with a well-edited wardrobe know the best adversary for overcoming cold-weather comes down to a few essentials: an Intimissimi thermal base layers that hide under your cocooning woollen coat, a deliciously soft Rise & Fall V-neck jumper and a '90s-romcom-inspired knitted bucket hat, to name a few.

For the most part, these style staples become such an integral part of our winter dressing habits because of the simple fact that they keep us warm. It’s this practical nature that keeps them employed for month after month, but as the temperature rises, the grey skies turn to blue and hours of daylight get longer, it’s the perfect time to consider injecting a little more playfulness into the pieces we wear.

You see, the stretch towards the start of spring always renders our heavy-duty garments somewhat obsolete. Whilst there’s no need to be trotting around in mock croc gloves and jackets as inflated as the economy, there is something decadent about wading around in a superfluous accessory, and I’ve already noticed a number of tasteful dressers doing exactly this exceptionally well.

As we inch closer to the start of fashion month, I’ve been keeping a closer eye on what the locals living in style capitals like New York and London are wearing for their day-to-day activities. We might not be in the throes of street style pandemonium yet, I’ve already observed a shared proclivity towards a certain underrated category—scarves.

Starting last summer, scarves were given a ginormous push when a slew of chic celebrities stepped out wearing them in quick succession. Just to give some rightful airtime to these headline-making looks, we had Alexa Chung pioneer the scarf belt trend when wearing a simple silk Gucci version around her waist whilst out in London and Gracie Abrams revived the bandana when she took to her debut headlining set at Glastonbury. Then, as the weather got cooler and scarves became essential again, we saw Kendall Jenner step out in Paris wearing a burgundy Almina Concept triangle scarf, along with both Zoe Kravitz and Jennifer Lawrence wearing purple iterations from The Row when in Rome and Manhattan, respectively.

Now, scarves are once again coming to the forefront of our sartorial consciousness thanks to the rise in the tassel scarf trend. As the name suggests, this is a style that features ornate fringing along the hem, which, when added to an ensemble, delivers a dosage of refinement and class. Unlike the traditional scarves we see this type of year, these tassel iterations are more gratuitous given the fact that they don’t necessarily add any functional benefit. Often rendered in glossy silk, they evoke the essence and elegance of a black-tie soirée, albeit in a much more everyday setting.

It’s this reason why it’s being co-signed by the luxury set, from Toteme offering a tuxedo version and Dries van Noten putting a more chintzy spin on the delicate piece. As for styling, there are so many chic ways you can wear it. However, I’ve actually found the tassel scarf to be an incredibly versatile addition to a wardrobe as it truly pairs with so many existing outfit formulas. Be it tied around your hips over a boxy coat or layered over a blazer to elevate your modern tailoring, the options for how you wear it are endless, much like its predecessors.

Of course, with every member of the style set clambering to get their hands on the scarf trend—including Who What Wear UK’s very own editor-in-chief Jane McFarland—I’ve taken it upon myself to hunt down the best styles so you can shop them all in one place. How’s that for reliability? From animal print options at Rabanne to velvet styles at Valentino, uncover the tassel scarves fashion editors are purchasing, below.

Shop the Tassel Scarf Trend: