If Jane Austen had lived to see her 250th birthday at the end of last year, she would surely have been quite pleased. Not with the state of modern romance – nor, indeed, with modern manners or etiquette – but at least she’d have felt a surge of recognition when she surveyed the look and feel of our accessories.
That’s because, against all odds, jaunty little neckties and cosy bonnets with pretty bows that tie under the chin are no longer relegated to the world of period dramas. In fact, at this very moment, there will be plenty of women bobbing around the streets of London’s Soho in fashionable woollen hoods, while elbow-length gloves are currently being peeled off in the bars of Hackney and the market towns of middle England.
Some of this focus on Regency-era accessories is thanks to the resurgence in popularity of Austen among Gen Z. These twentysomethings are retreating from dating apps into the comforting world of dashing gentlemen on horseback and busy dance cards at country balls. And, really, what could be more understandable than bingeing on Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility or the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice over the Christmas period and then deciding that it is Marianne Dashwood or Elizabeth Bennet who will be your style guide for 2026, rather than one of the Kardashians?
The trend for Austen-era accessories first emerged in Copenhagen Fashion Week last winter, when the style set turned up to the front row looking as if they were on a jaunt to the village in the hopes of bumping into the local militia, rather than trying to get a good selfie for Instagram. But now the trend is cutting through from fashion world cosplay to the real world, and women everywhere have started swapping generic scarves and forgettable bobble hats for all things Georgian.
If this cosy and cheerful accessory trend appeals to you (particularly now that the grimmest months of the year are upon us) then, in the words of Mr Bennet, “Read on my dear, read on.”
Woollen hoods
Whitby hood, £145, Herd
The most visible and, arguably, the most divisive of the Regency-era accessories, these wintery bonnets have been having a major revival with brands like Herd, Rise & Fall, Toast, John Lewis and Jigsaw all releasing designs of their own.
“One of the best things about our hoods is that they don’t flatten hair, and that they are simple to lift up and down, depending on the weather,” says Ruth Rands, the founder of Herd, the British womenswear brand that uses locally sourced materials for its knitwear and accessories. Equally useful is the fact that many of these hoods have thick wool ties which go under the neck, thereby doing away with the need for a scarf.
If you are keen to try this trend, then just ensure that the rest of your outfit is quite modern (the key is not to actually be mistaken for an extra in a BBC Austen adaptation) so pair it with jeans and trainers, for example, rather than a floor-length dress and lace-up boots. “We like to keep everything else simple,” says Emma Brooks, the womenswear designer from Toast. “I’d wear mine over a structured coat or a padded jacket, with trousers that have some volume and grounding footwear.”
Rands, who often wears hers with a similar coloured jumper so she can keep her hood on through a long pub lunch, adds: “Keep some strands of hair around your face and with the ties in a knot and worn long down the front of a coat for a particularly stylish look.”
Modern bonnets
Bonnette, £50, Straw London
If a hood doesn’t go quite far enough for those of you in the Dashwood/Woodhouse/Bennet appreciation society, then why not opt for an actual bonnet instead? Straw London has created a style that sits low on the head, thereby keeping part of your hair free while warming the ears and neck. Also, instead of scarf-like straps, they have opted for a lovely silk necktie which feels very reminiscent of the styles Jennifer Ehle wears in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
“I was getting a lot of knots in my hair from the hood style, so we decided to make a slimmer, more cropped version for women with curly hair in particular,” says Straw London founder Emily Attrill, who notes that the new style has been a hit with clients of all ages. “Part of their popularity is that they are a lot harder to lose, because you can keep them on your neck when you go in and out of shops and cafés.”
Elbow-length wool gloves
Cashmere gloves, £140, Another Tomorrow
While long gloves have been in and out of style for years, they have mostly been of the red-carpet variety and therefore largely confined to the world of celebrities. And yet, there is something wonderfully romantic – and wonderfully Austen – about peeling off a design that stretches most of the length of your arm. So all hail these long woollen gloves that not only keep the hands, wrists and elbows warm but add a little Caroline Bingley glamour to your usual trudge from home to the train station.
“Longer wool gloves bring both function and intent to an outfit,” agrees Brooks. “They also provide a surprising amount of extra warmth, especially when wearing coats with more generous volume through the sleeves or with cropped or bracelet-length sleeves.” As for how to style them: opt for a bold colour to jazz up a pared-back coat or simple knitwear – and don’t save them for special occasions; this is a piece to wear every day that the temperature drops from now until March.
The triangle scarf
Knitted scarf, £24, Damson Madder
If there is one accessory that shows someone has been reading the fashion pages this season, it is the little wool neck scarf that has been particularly popular in red. The ubiquity of it – it is being sold by brands like Kiltane, Damson Madder, Nobody’s Child and Cos – also marks the death of the giant scarves that have, until now, been swaddling our necks for half the year.
“Our cashmere bandanas are the most popular accessories this season,” says Brooks, “partly because they are fun to style: they can be tied as hoods or wrapped in multiple ways as bandanas or snoods. They’re also freeing, as you’re not constantly adjusting a scarf or worrying about bulk.”
The necktie scarf can be worn with anything, but probably looks its best over a slimmer winter coat, as it can get lost under a large puffer jacket. Equally – unlike a heavier design – it is as much an indoor piece as an outdoor one, as it looks particularly good casually tied around the neck over a casual jumper or T-shirt. Many of them even double up as hoods, allowing you to try both trends in one go. They also range from a medium shawl to a tiny neckerchief – although if in doubt about what size to opt for, just remember that this season it is all about Lizzy Bennet, not Lenny Kravitz.