If your wardrobe is feeling a little lacklustre, and you want to make everything you own feel more current, one simple accessory is the fastest route to chic: the silk scarf. Who would have thought the printed silk scarf would become the accessory defining the season and have such transformative powers? Best of all, you probably have one tucked away in a drawer. Forget just tying it around your neck. It’s time to get creative with the slip of fabric and use clever styling hacks to get the most out of the silk scarf. Designers on the spring catwalks evolved the role of the scarf, using it to enrich outfits and styling it up in fresh ways. At Celine, it was worn as a top, while Kallmeyer tied it over blazers, proving its prowess as an outfit game-changer. Of course, utilising the scarf for its print and pop of colour isn’t anything new or revolutionary.Designers on the spring catwalks evolved the role of the scarf, using it to enrich outfits and styling it up in fresh ways. At Celine, it was worn as a top, while Kallmeyer tied it over blazers, proving its prowess as an outfit game-changer. Of course, utilising the scarf for its print and pop of colour isn’t anything new or revolutionary. The silk scarf isn’t just a trend; it’s a timeless accessory that has long been a go-to for some of the most stylish women, including Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy and Sophia Loren. It’s always been on hand to add pizzazz to an outfit with colour and print. This season, it’s been adopted and reworked, proving how much you can get out of an item and how versatile the classic accessory is. What’s different now is how it’s been styled: rather than an afterthought add-on, it’s become part of the outfit. Last year, it was all about tying the scarf around the waist over trousers, and this has evolved further this year. The scarf sarong utilises a large-scale silk scarf, tied into a chic sarong skirt that feels polished and not beachy. It’s been worn beyond the beach, and looks best styled with an oversized button-down shirt or tank top. If that feels too crafty for you, you can cheat a little and opt for a printed silky sarong skirt that does all the hard work for you and gives you the look without tying yourself in a tizzy. Satin Lace Detail Scarf, €22, M&S Dries Van Noten has even presented the sarong on the menswear catwalks, adding a flash of colour to suiting and tailoring, but this might be too triggering for those who remember David Beckham’s sarong Jean Paul Gaultier ensemble that seized the nation in 1998. If you’re having a bad hair day or want to keep the sun off your head, the silk scarf can do just that too. Rather than tying it under the chin in a way that can feel a little Old Hollywood or too ladylike, the fashion set is wearing it more undone. Think of it as a bandana, wrapped around the head, as seen on the likes of Kendall Jenner and Zendaya. If that feels too much for you, designers like Toteme tied a silk scarf around a low ponytail in a subtler way. Both Celine and Kallmeyer brought the scarf centre stage in their shows. Kallmeyer took the Noughties-esque scarf top and updated it to look very chic, styling it as a longline halterneck top tucked into high-waisted black trousers. For a perhaps more wearable way of styling the scarf, the designer also half-draped it over a blazer in a cape-wrap style, updating a pared-back outfit and giving it a lot more personality. Celine really leaned into the scarf for their spring show, even sending out invitations wrapped in monochrome silky scarves. In the show, they were worn as soft cowl necks over suiting, draped asymmetrically over tailored jackets and layered beneath lapels. It’s something you can take into autumn too. OpéraSport showed vintage-style scarves used as oversized belts, tied around the waist On the catwalks of Copenhagen Fashion Week, Danish brand OpéraSport co-ordinated silky shirts with vintage-style scarves tied around the waist like an oversized belt; Chloe featured silk scarves tied to woolly capes, and Zimmermann gave a bohemian feel with cape-like layers and fringed wraps.