The $5 Accessory Sure to Dominate Fashion Month

The ribbon bow is back and better than ever.

Coquette-core, Regency-core, ballet-core — we’ve heard of just about every “core” there is. In the case of these three, there’s one very adaptable accessory that ties them all together, quite literally. 

Ribbons are having a moment. While people wearing bows is nothing new, there’s a movement happening among the stylish and influential (and the stylishly influential) that shows the world different ways to incorporate these easily accessible cuts of fabric into your wardrobe, whether that’s tying it to the ends of your hair, around your neck or even onto your shoes. The possibilities are endless.

Not only does it touch on countless “core” references, but the humble ribbon brings to mind another powerful undercurrent in fashion: nostalgia.

For content creator Ashley Brown (@kaykaybrown), taking ballet classes as a young girl and participating in cheer helped her realize her love for ribbons and hyper-femme aesthetics. “I’ve had bows all throughout my life,” she says. “I have boxes of bows, ribbons and things that I’ve collected over the years.”

Brown began to experiment with incorporating ribbons into her looks a few years ago. Recently, she’s started replacing her shoelaces with them or wearing them as necklaces.

A lifetime of collecting of random fabric scraps seems to be a common thread among those partaking in the trend. 

“I have a lot of vintage ribbons — [since I went to fashion school,] I’ve accumulated a really ridiculous amount of ribbon,” says Isabella Ricci (@isa.bella.ricci), another content creator known for her ribbon accessorizing.

Ricci has worn ribbons in her hair since she was a child. Now, she incorporates them into her outfits by tying them around her earmuffs, headphones and even belt loops.

“I started thinking about ways I can add them to any outfit… It gives me a lot more creative freedom, and it also makes your clothing more customizable because you can take something simple and make it your own,” she says. 

Though this styling trick has been getting more and more attention lately with the help of those fully immersed in coquette- and ballet-core, using ribbons as a decorative element in clothing is already familiar to those who grew up around or were immersed in Mexican culture.

Camila Banzo, a Mexico-City-based designer with an eponymous label, was inspired to incorporate ribbons into her work because of the aprons she remembers seeing women wear: “They have openings [at the] sides, and [the women] would use [ribbon] to close them.” Banzo takes vintage mens blazers, cuts the shoulders out and reattaches the sleeves with ribbons, putting a new spin on a wardrobe staple.

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Ribbons as a utilitarian tool, but also a decorative touch, are deeply rooted in indigenous culture in Mexico: Women would — and continue to — braid them into their hair to keep their tresses tidy while cooking or cleaning. (Jonathan Cohen, a New York-based designer who references his Mexican heritage in his work often, used deadstock fabric in models’ hair for his Spring 2020 ready-to-wear collection, to pay tribute to this tradition.) 

In tandem with their cultural significance, ribbons are a way for Banzo to express a hyper-feminine aesthetic in her work, creating a contrast with typically masculine garments.

Similarly to Brown and Ricci, Banzo believes that there’s plenty of room for femininity to be more widely accepted. She thinks back to one of her favorite films, “Marie Antoinette.” “The clothing men wore was very feminine[…] I think that’s something that needs to come back in fashion.”

Beyond Banzo, we’ve spotted the ribbon renaissance on the runway, most notably at Valentino, which embraced bows in its Fall 2022 ready-to-wear and Spring 2023 haute couture collections. Meanwhile, the look already has a hold over street style — so don’t be surprised if you spot it among the fashion crowd outside the upcoming Fall 2023 shows.

Luckily, tying ribbon is one of the most accessible trends out there — you can buy a whole spool at a craft or fabric store for less than a cup of coffee (or repurpose the packaging from your brand of choice) — and it’s completely malleable to one’s own style preference. Whether you’re in it for coquette-core, ease or the burgeoning 2012 renaissance (see also: peplums and American Apparel disco pants), a bow is an easy way to make an outfit yours.

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Source: Fashionista.com