Jennifer Lawrence and Naomi Watts Agree: The Scarf Is Winter 2026's It Accessory

Jennifer Lawrence's printed velvet shawl

Who What Wear's senior editor Allyson Payer describes Jennifer Lawrence as "the queen of scarves", noting that this is not even the first scarf trend she has worn in the past month. A few weeks earlier, the actress was seen in the velvet-scarf trend. This time, stepping out in New York, she wore a printed shawl, a burnout-velvet floral one, with bootcut jeans.

The appeal is the contrast. Printed shawls have an opulent, vintage feel, and putting one over laid-back denim is exactly the kind of mix that city dressers love. According to Who What Wear, bootcut jeans are emerging as winter's top denim trend, which makes the pairing feel very of the moment.

"Printed shawls have an opulent, vintage feel, which is an aesthetic that's very popular this season." Allyson Payer, Who What Wear

Naomi Watts and the knotted silk scarf

Naomi Watts went smaller. Spotted in downtown New York in a blazer and jeans, she wore what Who What Wear called a French-girl silk scarf knotted at her neck, alongside a fabric corsage brooch and a Western plaque belt. Three accessory trends at once, all of them, as the piece puts it, denim-friendly.

This is the quiet version of the trend and the most wearable for everyday. A silk square folded into a narrow band and tied high at the neck lifts a plain shirt or knit in seconds. It also travels well: it fits in a handbag, and it works as well with a work blazer as with a weekend sweater.

The runway version: big, padded and dramatic

On the runways, scarves went the other way. ELLE reports that "the behemoth sculptural statement scarf is here", with puffed, twisted and oversized scarves seen in the fall/winter 2026 shows at Loewe, Celine and Toteme, and a smaller cobalt-blue leather scarf at Givenchy. ELLE's tip for wearing it is simple: keep it tonal with your coat, or pick a primary colour like scarlet or bright yellow to stand out against a subdued jacket.

ELLE also points to embellished scarves, from embroidered pieces to extra-long fringe, describing them as "a warm version of a necklace". That idea explains why the trend is catching on. In winter, when jewellery disappears under layers, the scarf becomes the statement piece.

How to wear the scarf trend in India

Indian winters vary a lot, from a Delhi December to a mild Bengaluru evening, but the scarf trend works in both.

For a cold north Indian winter. Take the Jennifer Lawrence route. A printed shawl, and many of us already have a beautiful one at home, thrown over a plain coat or a denim jacket with straight or bootcut jeans. Let the print do the work and keep everything else simple.

For a mild winter or the office. Copy Naomi Watts. A small silk square knotted at the neck over a shirt or a fine knit, with a blazer if it is cool. Add a brooch if you want to go the full way.

For a party. Go bold with colour. One bright scarf against a neutral outfit reads as deliberate and stylish.

The mini version for kids and pets

Children love copying a grown-up accessory, and the scarf trend shrinks down beautifully. A small printed scarf tied into a bow around a ponytail looks sweet and stays put better than you would expect, especially with a pair of snap clips holding the front sections back. For pets, a soft cotton neckerchief in a matching print is the easiest family photo moment of the season.

At Zootii, our snap hair clips come in prints that sit nicely next to a scarf, from polka dots to stripes. The trending accessories edit has the rest of the season's pieces, and our bag tags make a cheerful extra for a winter school bag. These are the four clips we would pair with a scarf bow.

All four were in stock when we wrote this, in packs of 2, 4 or 6, and orders above Rs 399 ship free.

More winter accessory trends

Naomi Watts's brooch is part of another big story this season, which we covered in the brooch trend celebrities are wearing in 2026. And for little ones, see our guide to winter hair accessories for girls.

Velvet has moved from shawls into hair too. Our velvet hair accessories trend report covers the bows, scrunchies and headbands girls and mums are wearing this winter.