A winter favorite is getting its day in the sun this year.

Scarves of all styles and colors are topping tanks and tees for the last days of summer, glowing on their own before they're tucked into light jackets and winter coats.

Perhaps it's a nod to the cold seasons ahead. But before the chill sets in, long pashminas flow behind fast-walking New York professionals wearing all black. Small, floral silk pieces tied neatly at the throat keep necks warm so the rest of the outfits can comfortably soak up rays. Cotton stoles hang open over short-sleeved tops.

Venus Williams wore a scarf over a black T-shirt at the recent launch of her fashion line, EleVen. She pointed out that while she wore EleVen everything, the chunky, multicolored sash spun around her neck was the only item on her body not from the new collection.

Ralph Lauren Marks 40 Years in Fashion

Ralph Lauren took a well-deserved extended bow Saturday night as he both presented and celebrated his 40th anniversary collection.

Lauren sauntered down the runway at a tent erected just outside the Conservatory Gardens in Manhattan's Central Park to Frank Sinatra's "The Best Is Yet To Come." A crowd that included Sarah Jessica Parker, Martha Stewart, Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters gave the designer a standing ovation. Fellow top-tier designers Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg and Vera Wang, who once worked for Lauren, also were at the black-tie event.

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