A ribbon on a bag, dress or tee is lovely and sexy. As fashion, it has been around as long as little girls have been tying grosgrain around their pigtails.

“Ribbons — charming and playful — capture a woman’s desire for both feminine sophistication and whimsical flirtation,” says Laurie Kaufmann, whose Lorelei collection includes a lambskin clutch framed by silky satin ribbon bows. She was inspired by satin ribbon belts paired with tailored suits and tulle skirts — a look paraded on the runways by Carolina Herrera, Prada, Miu Miu and Behnaz Sarafpour.

Designer Stacy Morgenstern has always been a “trim person.” So it was no surprise when cinched ribbon became the trademark of her Deesh line. Ribbon is spirited, says Morgenstern. It brings your childhood back, but with a cosmopolitan edge. It’s “dressing up a shirt, but in a playful way.”

Winning ribbons: from left, Jane Fox floppy hat with grosgrain trim, 5 at janefox.com; key chain, 2; A.V. Max velvet and pearl belt, 5; leather belt with pink satin bow, 8 at Anthropologie; DKNY scarlet shopper bag, 50; eyeglass ribbon, ; Paget bag in pinstripe and pearl with satin ribbon bows, 95 at loreleinyc.com; Nine West watches, 0; Deesh pink and navy stripe ribbon belt, 5; ribbon belt, 0 monogrammed, 8 plain.