The Peak of Headscarves in 2024?

Do you notice a commonality when comparing World War II pilots, the Grim Reaper character in Bergman’s film ‘The Seventh Seal,’ Olympic swimmers, and your grandmother bathing in the tub in the 1960s? They all wear bathing caps – an item that has recently appeared in the Fall/Winter collections of designers. They come in various shapes and are inspired by the 1920s runway.

One of the standout brands this season is Saint Laurent, led by Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello. You’ll find a look reminiscent of the 1940s, with sheer fabrics and models wearing swim caps – appearing in 48 different styles. Moreover, Prada is also spotted with swim cap designs and flip-flops in their latest collection, and even Burberry, Dior Homme, and Fforme join the game.

A similar yet more understated style is found on the runways at Puma’s Amazing Mostro Show and Rick Owens, Helmut Lang, Tory Burch, Chet Lo, and Simone Rocha. While at Eckhaus Latta’s runway, the brand introduced a headscarf with two long sides hanging down to the hips, and at Lemaire’s show, the headscarf was integrated into the garment. A few months ago, in the Spring/Summer 2024 season, a similar headscarf was seen on the runways of Emporio Armani, Balenciaga, Jil Sander, Alaïa, Dion Lee, Acne Studios, and even Saint Laurent paid tribute to Amelia Earhart – the first female pilot in the world. But why has this trend suddenly dominated the fashion scene in 2024?

Firstly, we need to decode the development of the trend. As mentioned earlier, bathing caps began to emerge last year as designers ‘competed’ to learn from the aviation-inspired collections of Emporio Armani. But not all designs are the same.

In the case of Armani and Saint Laurent, they borrowed the imagery of old-time pilots, while Dior Homme, Alaïa, and Fforme referenced 1920s fashion. Additionally, Puma and many other designers took inspiration from 1960s swim caps and combined them with hoodies to create a new look for 2024 fashion. At Burberry, they seem to have used a tightly wrapped scarf around the head to create a headscarf. Helmut Lang, Balenciaga, and Dion Lee ‘transformed’ the headscarf into the zipper hoodie.

Eckhaus Latta, a simple knit sweater with a headscarf extending to the hips. Although the designs vary depending on the brand, they still bring a sense of quirkiness and seem to foreshadow a trend that will dominate in 2024. They also do not forget to add a hint of sensuality and athleticism to the brand. This means that the trends brought by the fashion houses will not be categorized as accessories, they will lean towards more creative methods.