How To Wear a Bandana for Men of All Personal Styles

Today, we will go over how to wear a bandana for guys. Believe it or not, anyone can do it. So read on if you love this accessory or have historically been bandana-shy.

Style accessories are a funny thing. They usually come about due to some need. They’re made for practical reasons. Then, when a new invention renders those accessories obsolete, they become purely for style. And often, they symbolize things or represent something about you. We certainly do that with watches. When it comes to how to wear a bandana for men, you might think, “What does this say about me?” 

Personally, I think you should focus more on the style factor. But I’m here to help you explore every component of this useful and versatile piece of triangular cloth. At the end of the day, there are many ways to wear it, no matter what your personal style entails. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about what it might represent. Let’s get into it.

Bandana History: Practical and Fashionable

Let’s start with some bandana history. Originally built to protect you from the sun, a bandana is also called a kerchief. This means “cover head” in Old French (couvre chef, for you linguist lovers). It’s a triangular piece of cloth that you can tie on your head, cover your face like a mask, or protect your neck from the sun.

People have been wearing kerchiefs since ancient times. Greeks and Indian women used them while they were outside, again, for sun protection. They were also used to protect from dust and dirt and to wick sweat.

The bandana, as we know it, is a plain-woven fabric or silk with patterns likely invented in the late 17th century. It may have first popped up in Southern Asia or the Middle East—places where sun or sand may be an issue. As we headed into the 18th century, colonialism and trade became big. So, this modern-day kerchief was introduced to Europe and quickly became popular throughout Western culture.

And speaking of Western culture, the bandana became essential among miners and cowboys in the 19th century. To this day, it has a strong relationship with workwear and cowboy style.

What Does Your Bandana Pattern Say?

If you’re worried about what your bandana pattern or color may represent, don’t. They’re mostly inconsequential in most contexts, so just wear what you love. In fact, much of the time, most of the things certain simple bandana styles once represented no longer apply. And, often, it proliferated into mass fashion.

However, here’s a bit more history about how these accessories were used outside of practical wear. In old Persian culture, a pattern of shrubs and leaves, also called “boteh,” represented life and fertility. It has an earthy aesthetic that looks great with folksy styles and “crunchy” looks that many sustainable and vegan brands serve up.

In fact, the paisley design pattern was born of the boteh pattern. Today, most bandanas feature paisley, which has a wide range of associations beyond Persian culture. Cowboys, outdoorsy folks, and even particular gangs wore paisley. In the 1970s, Los Angeles gangsters associated with the Crips wore blue paisley bandanas, and those associated with the Bloods wore red ones.

In the past, white bandanas have symbolized social justice movements. Meanwhile, parents put solid blue bandanas on their children to represent neurodivergence. 

Again, none of this matters too much when you’re thinking of it from the style perspective. But, sometimes, it’s good to know so that you can dress respectfully on the rare occasions they do matter.

Ways To Wear a Bandana

You’d be surprised at the number of ways to wear a bandana. Wearing it on your head has a sort of working guy cool quality about it. It’s why this approach is common among those who love workwear style. 

Then, of course, there’s always your neck. Depending on how you secure it, you can go for a preppy look, a vintage look, and more. If you want to protect your face, you can wear your bandana like a mask.

And finally, you can wear it as a non-utilitarian accessory. It can serve as a sort of pocket square for your front pockets, hang out of your back jeans pocket, or even be tied around belt loops or your arm. Let’s get into specifics!

How To Wear a Bandana Around Your Neck

When considering wearing a bandana, you probably think solely of casual outfits. Again, it does have the Western or classic workwear quality about it. But, there are a few ways you can wear it on your neck that work in some smart casual and even business casual contexts. 

Let’s talk about using your kerchief as a neckerchief. Here’s how to wear a bandana around your neck.

The Choker Look

Roll or fold the cloth up so that it’s a consistent strap around your neck. By doing this, you’ll achieve a straight choker necklace look by keeping the bandana flat. You can wear the knot in the back for a cleaner look in the front. You can also wear a knot in the front and tie it like a bow. This way, it’s more akin to a casual bowtie. You can easily wear this with a T-shirt, button-down, or button-up.

More Frontal Coverage

Fold your bandana so that you have an upside-down triangle under your face. Secure it by tying the ends in the back. It’s basically the same composition as if you wore it like a face mask, except it’s on your neck. For a more casual look, let it sit over your collar. Or, you can stuff it into your button-up to make it look a bit like a cravat.

What It’s Made For: Wear Your Bandana on Your Head

While bandana trends come and go, you can never go wrong wearing it the way people always have. 

A common way to wear it when doing work around the house is to go for full coverage, which was also in style in the ‘90s. Because of that, it can be styled with a retro-cool combination. You can also go for a cool biker vibe and pair it with a leather jacket. It’s definitely edgier. You can also throw a hat over it and let it peak out as an accent.

Or, wear it like a headband. Start by folding it into a triangular shape and then into a band. This kind of styling is great for concerts or more casual settings. It’ll also help catch some sweat in the heat.

How To Fold and Wear a Bandana on Other Parts of Your Body

Now, let’s talk about how to fold and wear a bandana in other creative ways.

If you fold your bandana flat, length-wise, then fold the triangular point in, you’ll have a rectangular strip. This is your base. And you can make it as thick or as thin as you want. With this strip, you can do the following:

• Tie it around your arm to create a sort of bandana cuff bracelet
• Tie it around a hat to create a bandana hat band
• Fold it a few more times to create a square that you can use as a decorative accent for your front pocket

Or you can wear it completely unfolded.

Stuff it in your back pant pocket for an effortless look that is easy to access if you need to pat yourself down. You can also tie it around your belt loop to create a flowier, more elegant belt chain alternative.

FAQs

Do you still have questions about bandanas? No worries! Here are some quick answers to the most common questions.

What Does Wearing a Red Bandana Around the Neck Mean?

Ultimately, nothing. You can wear a red bandana around your neck if you like. However, it’s had historical associations in the past, including worker solidarity in the ‘20s and gang membership to the Crips in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.

Is It Okay To Wear Bandanas?

Yes, bandanas are practical accessories that you can use to pat down sweat or wipe your face. There’s nothing wrong with wearing one as a style accessory instead of stuffing it in your jacket pocket.

How Do You Properly Wear a Bandana?

The most common ways are on your head or your neck. However, there’s not one proper way to wear a bandana. You can also wear it around your belt loop, as a bracelet, and really anywhere and anyhow you like

Conclusion: Practical and Stylish

Now you know how to wear a bandana for men! If you’re worried about wearing a bandana based on what it might signify, you might be giving into a bit of social bias and giving yourself too much credit. Unless you’re purposely wearing it with intent to feign association or membership, you’ll likely be just fine.

And again, bandanas are simply useful to have on your person.

Question? Comments? Let us know in the comments below.