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How To Wear A Bandana: 11 Ways To Style A Bandana Or Kerchief According To Maria Bernad
Got some bandanas, silk scarves, or kerchiefs lying around the house that you don't know what to do with? Let stylist Maria Bernad inspire you to wear them as tops, necklaces, and head wraps.
There's something Audrey Hepburn, Aaliyah, and Alexa Chung (and plenty of other style stars) have in common - their love of a bandana, and we think you need to learn to love them too. The square of fabric, sometimes known as a kerchief, which is typically monochromatically patterned (though not necessarily), may conjure images of S Club 7, rather than street style, but trust us when we say, its coming back in a big way.
Seen on the catwalks of Dior, Gucci, and Jacquemus during the AW20 season, cotton, twill, and silk iterations in traditional bandana prints, plain colours, and vibrant patterns - basically, they were everywhere.
But, just because the fashion world is awash with them, that doesn't mean we'll all immediately nail the look. Thankfully, stylist, and founder and curator of Les Fleurs Studio, Maria Bernad's Instagram account is a treasure trove of inspiration for how to rock the trend.
Bernad told us bandanas are her 'favourite accessory' and she always opts for vintage versions: 'I’m always around markets and vintage stores trying to find different prints, colours and shapes - it’s so fun when you find a funny piece and so exciting when you unearth a collectors' item.'
'I’m always looking for scarf inspiration in archive '70s photos, my favourite being when people were traveling to Marrakech or Egypt,' Bernad told ELLE UK, 'One of my main inspirations are the old Agatha Christie movies, for example in Death Under The Sun’ (1982), Jane Birkin's wardrobe was full of them.'
So as she's such a kerchief aficionado, we've trawled through her feed to find out no less than 11 ways to style a bandana now...
The Grace Kelly
The easiest way to wear a bandana is to fold it into a 2cm width and tie it, knot sideways, around your neck, in the style of Grace Kelly. If folding isn't your thing, you can buy a scarf that is already rectangular.
The Film Star
Channel old Hollywood glamour by folding a large silk or gauze square of fabric diagonally over your head and wrapping the ends around your neck to tie at the nape. Extra glamour points for wearing your sunglasses over the wrap.
The '70s Rock Star
Channel Mick Jagger or Joan Jett by folding a square, or purchasing a thin bandana to tie around your neck.
Acne Studios Printed Cotton And Silk Scarf - Acne Studios | Mytheresa
The Bustier
Wrap your printed fabric around your torso and tuck it into your bra to create a cute bustier top.
The Royal
Make like the practical Princess Anne and Queen Elizabeth and place a diagonally-folded kerchief over your head, and tie it at the front, leaving the ends to hang loose from your chin.
Giuliva Heritage The Aria printed silk-twill scarf
The Bra
By tying your folded bandana in the centre of your chest, you create a bra-like top that looks as luxe as it does spontaneous.
The Jackie O
Former First Lady Jackie Onassis, alongside her daughter-in-law Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, were big fans of placing a diagonally-folded kerchief and tying it under their hair at the back of their neck.
The Serena Van Der Woodsen
If you think Blair Waldorf was the only Upper East Sider with a penchant for headgear, then you'd be wrong. Amazonian Serena Van Der Woodsen was also partial to a headband, but in her case, she fashioned it out of fabric. Recreate by folding a large square into a wide band, placing it down like an Alice band and tying at the neck, letting your hair out of the back.
SAINT LAURENT Paisley-print cashmere and silk-blend scarf
The French Girl
Add a certain something to the most boring of buns or low ponytails be incorporating a bandana.
The Cowboy
By halving your bandana and tying the opposite corners behind your neck, you will look like a true cowboy. However, if that's a little earthy for your taste, why not try buying a kerchief in chainmail?
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
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