How to Wear & Use a Bandana: 10 Easy Ways
WILDFOLDE / 001
A few good ways to wear & use the most versatile square in your closet.
A bandana is a small piece of fabric with a ridiculous number of jobs.
Tie it around your neck. Throw it in your hair. Wrap it around your wrist. Tie it to your bag. Take it hiking, gardening, traveling—or just wear it because your outfit needs something.
There aren't many rules. That's the fun of it.
Here are a few of our favorite ways to wear a bandana.
Around Your Neck
The classic.
Fold your bandana diagonally into a triangle, then roll or fold it into the width you like. Tie it loosely around your neck, or let the point sit in front for a more traditional bandana look.
Keep it relaxed and a little imperfect. That's usually the point.
Over Your Hair
Fold your bandana into a triangle and place the long edge across your forehead, with the point falling down the back. Tie the two ends underneath your hair at the nape of your neck.
Tie it loose. Let the point hang. Don't overthink it.
As a Headband
Fold your bandana into a long, narrow strip and tie it around your head.
Wear it across your forehead for a more outdoorsy look, or move it back toward your hairline for something a little more understated.
Perfect for getting outside, keeping your hair back, or adding a little color to a simple outfit.
Around Your Wrist
Fold or roll your bandana into a narrow strip and wrap it around your wrist. Tie a simple knot and let the ends hang loose.
It's one of the easiest ways to wear a bandana without committing to a full look.
On Your Bag
Give your everyday bag a little personality.
Tie your bandana around a handle, loop it through a strap, or knot it onto a zipper pull. It's an easy way to add color—and an easy way to find your bag in a pile of lookalikes.
Around a Ponytail
Keep it simple.
Tie a bandana around your ponytail or bun and let the ends hang loose. A smaller knot keeps the look subtle; a larger bow makes more of a statement.
In Your Pocket
Sometimes the best way to wear a bandana is barely wear it at all.
Fold it neatly and let a corner peek out of your back or jacket pocket. Or roll it loosely and let a little color show.
Useful when you need it. Good-looking when you don't.
Through Your Belt Loops
Thread a folded bandana through a belt loop and let the ends hang at your hip.
It's an easy way to bring a little pattern into an otherwise simple outfit—and it works especially well with denim.
As a Neck Scarf
Find your favorite ring or a bandana slide and pull the ends through for an elegant look
Backward Around Your Neck
Same bandana. Different direction.
Fold it into a triangle, place the point down your back, and tie the ends at the front of your neck. Keep the knot loose and let the rest fall naturally.
A little more low-key. A little more unexpected.
However You Want
This might be our favorite way to wear a bandana.
Fold it differently. Tie it somewhere unexpected. Wear it until it becomes yours.
There really aren't rules here.
That's the whole point.
Find Your Fold
One square. A hundred ways to make it your own.
Bandana FAQs
How do you wear a bandana around your neck?
Fold the bandana diagonally into a triangle, then roll or fold it to your preferred width. Wrap it around your neck and tie the ends in a simple knot. You can wear the knot in front, to the side, or behind your neck.
How do you wear a bandana in your hair?
Fold the bandana into a long strip and tie it around a ponytail or bun, or wear it as a headband by tying it underneath your hair.
What are some easy ways to wear a bandana?
Some of the easiest options are around your neck, in your hair, as a headband, around your wrist, on your bag, through a belt loop, or tucked into a pocket.
How do you style a bandana?
Start with the rest of your outfit and use the bandana as a small point of color or pattern. Try a loose neck tie, a simple wrist knot, or a bandana tied to your bag. The best style is the one that feels like you.
WILDFOLDE / 002
Next: [How to Tie a Bandana 7 Different Ways →]
