Goodbye, Tie. Hello, Scarf? The Trend That’s Redefining Formalwear
The tie is dead, but in its place—something softer, looser, and infinitely cooler
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Bending the dress code
There’s something thrilling about the moment a trend slips into existence, catching like static electricity before anyone realizes what’s happening.
One day, men are fastening their ties, smooth and conventional. The next, the tie is gone, and in its place—something softer, looser, and full of insouciance.
A scarf, knotted at the throat, defying structure while still playing by the rules.
Drew Starkey did it at the SAG Awards, a red silk scarf looped with the kind of ease that suggests he didn’t think about it too much (though, of course, he did).
Omar Apollo followed at the Oscars, his draped scarf functioning as both an accessory and a statement.
Dominic Fike, too, at Saint Laurent’s Paris show, where the whole aesthetic was already teetering on the edge of undone elegance.
And suddenly, there it was: the scarf, ascendant.
It makes sense. The tie, a relic of boardrooms and rigidity, has been on its way out for a while.
The scarf, in contrast, is an open-ended question.
It can be silky and slight or dramatic and draping, an affectation that doesn’t read as trying too hard. There’s a romance to it.
It’s a perfect fit for a generation that thrives on subversion. Gen Z loves a remix, something that takes the old and spins it into something playful.
The scarf-as-tie works because it refuses to commit—it flirts with tradition, then shrugs it off.
It’s also versatile. You could pull it tight, let it billow, pair it with a suit, or throw it over a tank top and call it a day.
Perhaps that’s the appeal. Fashion right now is less about following a dress code and more about bending it.
The scarf isn’t a tie, but it nods to one. It keeps the silhouette intact while softening the message.
So, will everyone be wearing a scarf as a tie now? Maybe. Or maybe that’s not the point.
The point is the freedom to take something expected and make it your own.
The point is that nothing—no tie, no scarf, no rule—should ever really have the final say.
Photos courtesy Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, and Nanushka
