TodayKorea reporter Kim Chaeyun | Layering is officially the season’s style story, and scarves are having a major moment. What used to be a simple neck accessory is now being draped, tied, and styled on hair, waists, bags — even wrapped around wrists — and shoppers are taking notice.
On April 17, industry sources and TodayKorea reporting found that scarves have become a must-have fashion item for younger consumers, fueling a sharp uptick in demand.
29CM, run by Musinsa, reported that transaction value in its blouses and dresses categories rose 170% and 87%, respectively, year over year from the 1st through the 24th of last month.
Items with necklines designed for scarf styling proved especially popular. Sales of products labeled as scarf blouses and scarf dresses surged 305% and 680%, respectively, over the same period.
Hazzys Accessories also reported clear growth: scarf sales from January through mid-April rose roughly 50% year over year.
In response, major Korean fashion companies are speeding up launches of scarf-focused product lines.
For example, Shinsegae International rolled out integrated pieces that combine a scarf with a top to capture this trend.
Under its ILAIL brand, the company introduced scarf blouses and scarf dresses to give customers an easy way to get the look.
A Shinsegae International spokesperson told this outlet, “Some customers find scarves difficult to style, so we designed scarf-and-top sets. These one-piece items launched this year, and we’ll monitor customer reaction before deciding whether to expand the lineup or strengthen the scarf category.”
LF’s brands are also responding by expanding scarf lineups and increasing inventory.
Jill Stuart New York Accessories is offering scarves in lightweight fabrics that can be worn even in peak summer; the brand reportedly doubled the number of scarf-related products and increased inventory by 33% year over year.
Hazzys Accessories expanded its assortment and inventory by about 45% compared with a year earlier, moving beyond silk to include linen, modal and metallic yarns so pieces can be worn into early summer.
DAKS Accessories has pushed a premium strategy by increasing the share of 100% silk items, adding chiffon silk and focusing on seasonless pieces that reflect the brand’s signature designs while diversifying shapes.
An LF representative said, “As consumers favor detail-forward self-expression, the role of scarves is growing. Depending on material, pattern and how you style them, scarves can shift the overall mood of an outfit, making them an incredibly versatile styling tool.”
Some observers view this as part of a broader move toward detail-focused consumption: instead of buying whole new outfits, shoppers are refreshing looks with accessories like scarves.
A customer with the surname Gu, who recently bought a scarf online, told this outlet, “Scarves are cheaper than clothes, and you can style them on your waist, in your hair, on a bag, or even around your arm — so they’re super versatile. You can create lots of different looks for a relatively low price, which feels very cost-effective. I love layered outfits, and scarves make that easy.”
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