This summer, stylists are quietly retiring the classic belt. In its place comes something softer, more comfortable and more striking - a scarf tied around the waist, which has grown from a beach detail into the main replacement for the dull leather belt.

Why a scarf in particular? Because it does something a belt can't: it brings colour, pattern or contrast without demanding a bold change to the whole look. It works with almost everything - linen trousers, a midi skirt or a summer dress - and it doesn't squeeze. The result is what fashion calls casual elegance: put-together, but not stiff.

There are more ways to wear it than meets the eye. It can be knotted off to the side to break up a monotone neutral tone, set a little above the waist over a linen shirt for a visual accent, or wrapped around wide trousers to balance the proportions. For dressier occasions, there are also fringed versions in the style of a classic Spanish shawl.

The point is simple, and that's why it works. You don't need a new wardrobe to look different - sometimes a single piece of fabric and an idea of how to wear it is enough. In a summer where everything is tightened by heat and obligations, an accessory that doesn't squeeze sounds almost like a small rebellion against the rule that „you have to look perfect."