Headscarves are my favourite accessory - why? Well, for a few pounds you can get yourself a piece of genuine vintage that adds a bit of old-school bohemian-chic to any outfit.
Everyone can try this look - don’t be scared to incorporate a headscarf into your own personal style. You don’t need to suddenly turn into Sienna Miller at Coachella to achieve bohemian glamour. To quote fashion-blogger extraordinaire, Pin Sykes, “Faux suede fringe, ‘sexy’ crochet and dubious face jewellery (not the Givenchy type) have given it [boho] a bad rap.”
Headscarves are the short cut to being classed by your mates as ‘the trendy one’, and they’re scientifically made of magic - just add one to any outfit, et voila! You’ve nailed hippy-chic without any glitter or peace signs in sight! (Also, a lot cheaper than trying to keep up with the inevitable stream of ‘Summer Must Haves’ in the run up to the festival season - some of us aren’t the face of Topshop, and can’t casually restock our wardrobes as we please.)
As well as all of these fantastic reasons to start investing, I am a huge advocate for buying second hand. Vintage stores such as, Beyond Retro and Rokit are perfect places to snap one up, as they remove all the rummaging that is required when delving into charity shops (unless like me, you love doing this). If you’re not lucky enough to live near such places, there are always plenty of other independent vintage shops on most high streets.
When to headscarf
So, due to their jazzy nature, you can wear them with just about anything. I wear mine with anything from jeans, t-shirt and Converse, to evening dresses with heels - there ain’t no rules, ya hear?!
Think of them as your fashion step up from the statement necklace. It makes any boring outfit look banging and if you’re already a trendy wendy, it will elevate your outfit to a whole new level of cool.
Now, I’m all for quick day-to-night fashion fixes, as working in central London does tend to attract the impromptu mid-week night out. But hey, add a headscarf into the mix and not only have you changed your look, you don’t need to carry around that emergency outfit.
When not to headscarf
I probably wouldn’t advise wearing one with a suit/office wear (although, Mr. Hendrix certainly rocked this look back in the day). Aside from that, go wild! They’re the epitome of 70s sass, but this shouldn’t restrict you. I normally find it’s better to do a little bit of one ‘era’ at a time. Mix it up with some torn jeans, brogues and your favourite old band T-shirt.
Clash of the… prints
These vintage bad boys come in all sorts of crazy prints - I even have one with little ducks on it. But generally speaking, you’ll find them in variants of floral or paisley. They’re a bit psychedelic, ya know? Which means they lend themselves beautifully to the clashing-print trend, but they’re not so far out-there that you’ll feel like no one can hear you over your outfit. Headscarves are simple, versatile and there’s a plethora of colours, patterns and materials to choose from.
How to headscarf
I opt for a standard wrap around - I have unruly curly hair that’s never understood gravity, so it’s 50% fashion, 50% necessity. You can experiment with how you want to rock the look. Fashion it into an Alice band, or even wear one with your hair up (pull out tendrils of hair and add a baggy sweater for a casual ‘I-haven’t-even-tried-to-look-cool-you-guys’ effect).
Don’t panic and tie yours so tightly that you give yourself a migraine and have to bail midday on Operation Boho. Just tie it tight enough so there’s no chance of it slipping - hairpins are only normally needed if you opt for the up-do look. And don’t feel too shy to try out the headscarf in the shop to make sure it’s big enough to actually tie around your head.
Trust me, once you’ve found a couple that you like, it’ll become your new wardrobe staple. Oh and the best/worst thing about this trend is that you can never have too many. You’ll suddenly find you have loads, which is lucky because your mates will 100% want to borrow them. So go forth and embrace the headband!
Peace out, (wo)man.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.