The Humble Bandana Has Emerged As Summer’s Hottest (And Easiest) Styling Hack

Fashion has a nasty habit of eating itself alive. One minute, it’s declaring a new era of conscious consumption, the next, it’s posting another ‘how to style it five ways’ reel that looks suspiciously like a soft launch for another micro-trend. Right now, the plat du jour isn’t a cult buy, nor is it a new trend. No, the most overused concept is the styling hack. Just the other night, at a dinner party heavy on fashion people and on low carbs, no fewer than four guests had tied silk scarves around their waists in a knowing nod to Alexa Chung.

Which is to say: the styling hack has supplanted the It-bag as shorthand for style fluency. And the easiest way in right now? The bandana.

Not a new trend, but the trend before trend. Pre-dating social media, style algorithms and the tyranny of the capsule wardrobe, it’s the original accessory-as-attitude. A square of cotton that suggests you might have read Joan Didion but also spent last weekend on a yacht in Palermo. You know the look: Alexa does it slouched on a speedboat, as does Hailey Bieber. Gracie Abrams is hardly ever seen without one, Timothée Chalamet tied his beneath his chin in a more peculiar way (nonetheless, he’s committed), Diane Kruger wore one to fashion week, and Kylie Jenner, of course, wraps up like Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief.

Anya Taylor-Joy is the latest A-lister to join the ever-growing scarf crew, stepping out at the Hungarian Grand Prix with a silk scarf elegantly wrapped around her head. Whether for sun protection or pure style points, the look is giving vintage glamour.

The point is: if it’s good enough for them, it’s certainly good enough for us. But there’s a fine line between peasant-cum-riviera-chic and stroppy ‘90s teenager. Want to settle for the former? There are some basic bandana rules to follow and before you know it, you’ll have mastered this simple styling hack (apologies), and let your sun-bleached baseball cap off on the sabbatical it sorely deserves.

The key to getting it right lies in various factors: the fold (always diagonal), the size (a square somewhere around 60 x 60cm, otherwise you’ll end up with too much floating fabric), where you tie it (at the back of your head beneath the hairline, or under your chin for a more traditional take), the fabric (cotton, ideally), how you keep it on (tie it tightly but also use bobby pins in an X-shape where it feels too lose, or apply hairspray just before putting it on for better grip). What else? Need to take it off for a dip into the sea? Tie it to your bag like a bag charm, or pull it through a belt loop on your trousers. You got this.

Bandanas: The Ultimate Beauty Hack

They are certainly the biggest fashion flex for summer 2025, but the humble bandana comes with its fair share of beauty benefits, too. Bad hair day? Get your Miu Miu Printed Poplin Scarf at the ready and conceal the evidence. Can't be bothered for a blow out in this heat? Meet your new lazy-girl approved quick fix. But the advantage of wearing one goes way beyond the short-term. In fact, bandanas have long-lasting benefits for your hair and scalp. They shield against the sun's harmful UV rays (which is especially good for bleached and coloured hair types conscious of over-processing) and silk scarves in particular can protect curly hair types by maintaining moisture and preventing frizz.

Celebrity hairdresser and Grazia beauty panellist Tom Smith weighs in: 'I like a bandana tied low, letting the hairline breathe and the natural texture show through. It works well over loose, undone lengths and is ideal to settle hair prone to frizz. Curly and textured hair loves this kind of accessory but it can also add interest to flat or fine hair too.'

There are also a flurry of beauty buys ready to assist your bandana endeavours, look to TikTok for the proof where beauty buffs have cooked up smart ways to nail the look. You can use hair clips to lock your scarf into place without it slipping around all day or enlist the support of a leave-in treatment which can improve the condition of your hair while left to marinate under a bandana.

Shop our favourite bandana buys below

Henrik Lischke is the senior fashion news and features editor at Grazia. Prior to that, he worked at British Vogue, and was junior fashion editor at The Sunday Times Style.