When it comes to accessories, there are the usual suspects: bags, jewels, eyewear, belts, hats and all manner of claws and clips for your hair. All good stuff, and plenty to play with. But right now, the timing feels right to focus on one of the more versatile subsets of the category, The Neckcessory.
While the styles are fresh, the idea is not. Necks have been uniquely adorned throughout history. The Ancient Egyptians wore chunky, beaded “wesekh” collars, while the Iron Age used metal neck rings to signal wealth and status. Tudors had starched ruffs, Victorians had cravats, nineties kids had chokers, and in 2019 Ganni had the fashion girlies in a chokehold with its supersized frill collar. I mean, just this winter we lived through a grand fur-collar resurgence, so the question must be asked. What’s next in nécolletage?
Exhibit A, The Scarf.
Leaving behind the chunky wool of winter, we’re graduating to silk. Brought back to the fore by Michael Rider at Celine, the scarf appeared in his 2026 runway looks, draped over the shoulders and knotted loosely at the neck in a style now dubbed “The Rider Way”. The look landed, then gained serious momentum with the wider waist-scarf revival, giving us endless, and affordable, ways to update an outfit. Magda Butrym, Rodebjer, Twenty Seven Names, Glassons, Gucci and Pucci, from high fashion to the high street, the silk scarf is everywhere.
Exhibit B, The Collar.
Big, small, frilly, fluffy, Peter Pan or embroidered, take your pick. The best sit at the crossroads of ladylike and maximalist, like Fendi’s leather collar, all bite, no bow. Others can turn the most ordinary shirt into a statement piece (Patou, I’m looking at you), but users beware. There is always a risk of tipping over into colonial cosplay. Recently, Lela Jacobs proved just how far the detachable design can travel when she curated NZFW’s The Collar. The exhibition invited 60 designers, artists and makers to create their own interpretation of the garment. The result was a wild blurring of fashion, art, and wearable objects, including pieces from Wynn Hamlyn, Vicki Taylor, and Aotearoa fashion icon Marilyn Sainty.
Exhibit C, The Necklace.
Right now, necklaces have permission to push the boat out. Chunky designs are rising through the ranks alongside sculptural mixed metals, while those fine chains we’ve been wearing for the past few seasons are getting dressed up with pendants, charms and crystals. Lengths are variable, layering encouraged, and collar necklaces are being worn almost like bangles wrapped around the throat, just ask Jessica McCormack or David Yurman. The mood is personal. Things are a little less polished, a little mismatched, and a little more sentimental, which means your first stop en route to this trend should be the depths of your own jewellery box.
The best thing about nécolletage is that it’s completely open to interpretation. Yes, you can lean in with a Peter Marino-esque leather collar (IYKYK), pay homage to Grandma with a chic scarf, or play it safe by simply slipping a charm onto a gold chain. You likely already own the bits and pieces you need to step up your neckcessory game. However, if not, there are some damn great new options out there.
Words: Harriet Cowie.
Imagery: Supplied.
