From Loewe's inflatable gingham scarves to McQueen's exaggerated bows, fall's scarves turn a simple accessory into the focal point.

When <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/loewe-creative-directors-jack-mccollough-lazaro-hernandez">Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez</a> showed their second collection for Loewe in March, the scarves were inflatable—and they even came complete with air stoppers. Seven months later, as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/fall-winter-2026-fashion-campaigns-trends-photos-inspiration-looks-jackets-coats">Fall/Winter 2026</a> collections arrive in stores, it's clear Loewe was onto something. Oversized scarves turned up all over the season's runways, from McQueen's organza bows to Toteme's padded leather.
At <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/loewe-fall-winter-2026-collection-runway-photos-see-all-the-looks-vips-celebrities">Loewe</a>, the scarves were laser-cut, bonded, and sealed so they could hold air, which meant every bow kept its shape no matter how it was tied. Most came in checks and plaids that matched the clothes underneath, like a navy plaid version knotted over a sleeveless minidress in the same fabric. A black-and-camel iteration was so long it spilled down the front of its minidress to mid-thigh. The standout, though, was butter yellow. Tied over a long coat in the same shade, its top loop reached all the way to the model's ear, and orange socks and rubber-soled Mary Janes did nothing to tone it down. The house's leather atelier had its fun, too, knitting tartan sweaters out of ultra-thin leather "yarn." As for the sense of humor, that was intentional. "Humour can be revolutionary, at times the most piercing way to deliver a serious message," the designers wrote in the show notes.

Loewe Fall/Winter 2026. Courtesy of Loewe.

Not every designer needed air to make the point. At <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/givenchy-voyou-bucket-bag-launch-handbags-for-women-where-to-shop">Givenchy</a>, where <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/givenchy-fall-winter-2025-watch">Sarah Burton</a> looked to the Northern European old masters for a palette of black, ultramarine, and garnet, she styled a navy double-breasted pinstripe suit without a shirt, letting a burgundy leather scarf fill in the neckline instead. It was knotted tight at the throat with one end pointing toward the shoulder, and the color played nicely off the cobalt in the stripes (and in the oversized earrings). It's also the easiest trick on this list to try at home: swap the button-down for a scarf, and a suit you already own feels a lot less corporate.

Givenchy Fall/Winter 2026. Courtesy of Givenchy.

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kallmeyer-pre-fall-2025-collection-interview">Daniella Kallmeyer</a> got there by a more casual route. In New York, she paired an asymmetric caramel pinstripe blazer with mid-wash jeans and a short, chocolate-brown scarf with a plush, shearling-like pile, knotted once at the neck. The collection began with a dress her grandmother sewed by hand, though Kallmeyer's <a href="https://wwd.com/runway/fall-2026/new-york/kallmeyer/review/">description of her customer</a> might be the better summary of the look: "She's a lady, but she's fun and weird."

Kallmeyer Fall/Winter 2026. Courtesy of Kallmeyer.

At <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/alexander-mcqueen-iconic-runway-shows-designer-lee-mcqueen-fashion-history">McQueen</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/who-is-sean-mcgirr-alexander-mcqueen-new-creative-director-sarah-burton">Seán McGirr</a> was thinking about life under constant observation. The collection&nbsp;also drew from Alfred Hitchcock and Todd Haynes'&nbsp;Safe. His contribution to the trend was a white organza bow tied high on the neck of a cropped black tweed jacket, wider than the model's shoulders and matched by oversized white cuffs. Caitríona Balfe wore the look to the Dublin premiere of Sense and Sensibility last month, though she swapped the runway's grey ostrich boots for black pumps.

McQueen Fall/Winter 2026. Courtesy of McQueen.

Cecilie Bahnsen's version was softer, which makes sense for a collection called Practice and shown alongside dancers from Marseille's Oráma Atelier. The clothes looked ready for rehearsal, from the leg warmers to the ballet flats. One shell-pink satin gown came with a padded roll twisted over the shoulders and finished with drawstring toggles, the kind of detail that wouldn't look out of place in her ongoing collaboration with The North Face.

Cecilie Bahnsen Fall/Winter 2026. Courtesy of Cecilie Bahnsen.

Gabriela Hearst went cozier still. Her collection was inspired by Save the Children founder Eglantyne Jebb, <a href="https://wwd.com/runway/fall-2026/paris/gabriela-hearst/review/">whom Hearst called</a> "a complete Edwardian punk," and one look paired a camel corduroy suit with a pieced ivory fur scarf knotted high at the collar. It was styled with a cognac crocodile-and-snakeskin bag and, yes, champagne shearling slippers.

Gabriela Hearst Fall/Winter 2026. Courtesy of Gabriela Hearst.

Alberto Caliri, meanwhile, wasn't satisfied with just one scarf at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/margherita-maccapani-missoni-fashion-designer-legacy-it-girl-interview">Missoni</a>. An ochre knit was wound at the neck of a matching sweater, while a second, berry-colored scarf hung almost to the ankles beneath two coats, a camel one layered inside a long, shaggy rust one. Trousers in a coppery metallic herringbone added a little shine to an otherwise earthy palette, with burgundy pointed boots in the same shade as the belt.

Missoni Fall/Winter 2026. Courtesy of Missoni.

Some of the cleverest takes came from designers who turned other garments into scarves. Chitose Abe's Sacai collection, which drew on Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs of calla lilies, featured a bow that unties into a dickie jacket. In one lookbook image, the scarf is unmistakably the front of a grey double-breasted jacket, buttons and pockets included, wrapped around the neck of a charcoal cardigan and paired with a flared wool midi skirt that picks up the jacket's flap pockets at the hips. As for Toteme, which went the opposite direction, the brand has been selling a coat with a scarf built into it (its embroidered scarf jacket) for years, so naturally it had a version this season, too: a padded black leather scarf knotted over a double-breasted peacoat and styled with opaque black tights and patent pointed pumps.

Sacai Fall/Winter 2026. Courtesy of Sacai.

Toteme Fall/Winter 2026. Courtesy of Toteme.

So which one should you try? The Givenchy and Kallmeyer approaches are the easiest to pull off with what's already in your closet, and Toteme's padded leather is a smart buy for anyone who wears black all winter. Loewe's inflatables may be a harder sell for the morning commute, but McCollough and Hernandez don't seem too concerned. "What is fashion but an open field for endless creative play?" they asked in the show notes.
Below, find more of the oversized scarves, statement bows, and inflated neckpieces from the Fall/Winter 2026 collections.

Oversized or Over-the-Top? Fall/Winter 2026's Scarves Offer Both

Tags

Related Articles

Fashion

This Season's Standout Accessories Are Made to Be Treasured

Fashion

Boucheron Brings 168 Years of High Jewelry to Christie’s New York

Fashion

Your Guide to the Biggest Spring/Summer 2027 Runway Trends

Recommended posts for you

Men's

Owen Thiele Is Ready for His Villain Arc

Fashion

Oversized or Over-the-Top? Fall/Winter 2026's Scarves Offer Both

Film & TV

The Most Popular Horror Films of 2026 To Add To Your Watchlist

Shopping

Find Your Fall Flair With These Peplum Picks

Shopping

These Clutches Are Pushing the Envelope

Fashion

The Sneaker Is Spring/Summer 2027’s Design Playground

Fashion Week

Inside HAIM's Day At Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2027 Show

Travel & Living

Fall in New York: Your Guide to Fashion, Art, and Food Around the City