Is there a must-have accessory for powerful women?

Some rely on a strong cuff bracelet. Others insist on a unique pair of shoes or a certain style of suit. But Ilaria Alber-Glanstaetten, the head of corporate and brand communications at luxury carmaker Ferrari in Maranello, Italy, dons a scarf to announce who she is.  

“In the world I’m in, fashion and luxury, having things that show that I’m an insider and in the know is important,” said Alber-Glanstaetten, who pays as much as $700 for her scarves made of pashmina, cashmere or silk.

Why scarves and why now? In part, women are taking a softer approach to corporate style, said Donna Loveday, co-curator of the exhibition Women Fashion Power at the Design Museum in London. Scarves are appearing more on women’s necks in the boardroom, the statehouse and the office as a way to express personality. Powerful women who routinely wear scarves include Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.

In some cases, expensive wraps also broadcast economic standing.

“Women used to dress to blend in in a corporate environment,” said Loveday. “Now they don’t feel the need to disguise or conceal their femininity anymore.”

Wei Sun Christianson, co-chief executive officer of Morgan Stanley, Asia Pacific, based in Beijing, China, is one of the political and business leaders whose outfits are included in the museum’s exhibition.

“Wei Sun Christianson has a very high-profile senior role,” said Loveday. “She loves wearing scarves. For her, a piece of vintage jewellery or a brightly coloured scarf is a way of expressing her personality. Similarly, the tie for a man is sometimes a means of injecting some of his personality.”

It is less common for men to make a statement with a scarf. Perhaps that is why Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis sparked comment recently for attending emergency talks on his nation’s debt with a Burberry scarf, rather than a tie, draped round his neck.