How to wear a bandana: from accessory to statement piece

It is everywhere: knotted around the neck, slipped into the hair, tied on the handle of a purse. The bandana has left the cowboy's back pocket to become one of the most worn accessories of the moment. The question is how to wear it, and above all how to make it far more than a detail.

The bandana trend: everywhere, and that is exactly the trap

They say a bandana can be worn any old way. Not quite: it can be worn a thousand ways, which is not the same thing at all. A cotton square scattered with paisley, red or navy blue at first, it travelled from ranches to rock stages before the street styles of Paris, New York and London brought it back into the spotlight. Its strength is also its risk: we see it so often that it takes very little for it to take over the whole outfit. The whole art lies in giving it the place of one strong piece, and only one.

How to wear a bandana: four essential ways

It all starts with the same fold: lay the square flat and fold it in half along the diagonal to make a triangle. From there, four ways are all you need.

Around your neck. Roll the triangle from the point into a band, then tie it at the side, loosely, over a white shirt or an open collar.

In your hair, or as a headband. The same band becomes a headband tied at the nape. With long hair, wrap it around a ponytail or a bun to hide the hair tie.

On your wrist. Rolled very thin, it ties into a bracelet: a wink rather than a statement.

Tied on a purse. Knotted on the handle like a bag charm, it adds a touch of colour to your everyday bag. And this is where everything changes: what if the bandana were no longer tied to the bag, but became the bag itself?

How to style a bandana: avoid the total look

A bandana in the hair, around the neck and on the wrist, with a printed shirt on top: the total look is never far away. The rule is simple, one bandana piece per outfit, and everything around it stays understated. A colour borrowed from the print, the black of the paisley in your trousers, its pink in a cardigan, is enough to tie the look together without weighing it down. That restraint is what gives the bandana its chic, and what turns it into a statement piece rather than one more accessory.

What to wear with a bandana bag

When the motif is on the bag, the outfit is built around it. Two sizes, two ways of doing it.

In the city, the small Balagan Bandana Bag. At 30 × 30 × 9 cm, with its jewel chain worn on the shoulder, it holds its own over raw denim and a white shirt, a simple black dress or a blazer thrown over a T-shirt. The black bandana bag and the brown bandana bag go with everything; the pink, white or burgundy becomes the only colour in the look.

For the weekend and the beach, the oversized Balagan II bandana tote bag. At 45 × 40 cm in luminous Lycra, double-sided or trimmed with 15 cm fringe that dances with every step, it goes with a chunky jumper and jeans, a beach dress, or a man's shirt over a swimsuit. It is the bag you carry your whole day in, and its print does the rest.

The black Balagan II bandana tote worn on the shoulder

Play with textures

Paisley loves contrasting textures far more than clashing prints. Raw denim echoes its spirit of the open road, white lace softens its rock edge, a crumpled linen summer shirt and plain poplin set it off without stealing the show. The Balagan II's softly shiny Lycra pairs as easily with a cotton beach dress as with jeans on an afternoon in town.

The burgundy Balagan Bandana Bag worn on the shoulder by its jewel chain, with a pink hoodie and leather shorts, boarding a plane

A bandana bag with your name on it

The bandana has always been a sign of belonging; here, it becomes a signature. On the Balagan Bandana Bag, your message, a first name, a favourite word or a date, up to twenty characters, is embroidered in an arc around the central rosette, in the thread colour of your choice. On the Balagan II bandana tote, it is your initials, embroidered inside the bag. A piece no one else will carry, and a gift like no other. To find out more about embroidery, read our story on embroidered initials.

Your questions

How do you tie a bandana around your neck?

Fold it into a triangle, roll it from the point into a band, then tie it at the side with a loose double knot, over a white shirt or an open collar.

How do you wear a bandana in your hair?

Fold it into a triangle and roll it into a band, then tie it at the nape as a headband. With long hair, wrap it around a ponytail or a bun to hide the hair tie; one or two pins slipped under the fabric keep it in place all day.

How do you keep a bandana from slipping?

Choose cotton, which holds far better than silk, roll it without pulling too tight and finish with a double knot. In your hair, a couple of pins under the fabric do the rest.

What do you wear with a bandana?

A simple outfit that lets it be the only print: raw denim, a white shirt, a black dress, a blazer. Avoid the total look.

Is the bandana still on trend?

Yes: the bandana trend comes back every season in street style and on the runways, and it has found its place in the everyday wardrobe, right down to bags.

Small bandana bag or bandana tote?

The small Balagan Bandana Bag for the city, worn on the shoulder by its jewel chain; the oversized Balagan II bandana tote for the weekend and the beach. Find them both on our bandana bag page.

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