A neckerchief is a small square scarf made of cotton, silk, polyester, linen, rayon or blends of those fabrics. The bandana is a type of neckerchief. Neckerchieves are once again on trend, and my guess is that they’ll stick around and become a classic. They are a nice way to add colour, interest and dimension to your outfit in an easy and affordable way.
A few things upfront:
- Neckerchiefs are usually small, but larger squares allow you to create a slightly different look, which I’ll highlight below.
- Make sure you tie the ends in a square knot so that they lie flat because your scarf looks neater that way.
- Neckerchiefs were made for longer necks, but shorter necks can wear them too. Simply tie the scarf looser around a shorter neck, and wear a colour that is low contrast to your skin tone to break up the cutting horizontal line.
Here are six ways to tie a neckerchief:
1. Classic
This is the easiest and most popular way to wear a neckerchief. Fold the points of the scarf together to create a triangle, and fold again and again lengthways to create a worm. Tie around the neck with a square knot. Position the knot in the middle or to the side of the neck. A larger square has longer ends. You can move the knot to the side, and push one of the ends to the back of the neck when they’re long.
2. Cowboy
This is the trendiest way to tie the neckerchief at the moment. Fold the points of the scarf together to create a triangle and tie the ends into a square knot around the neck. Pull the triangular part of the scarf to the front or slightly to the side “cowboy” style, with the knot at the back. A larger square creates a larger triangle. Try the look with a low-contrast colour to your skin tone if you need to get used to the vibe.
3. Wrapped
You’ll need a larger square scarf to achieve this look. Fold two points of the scarf together to create a triangle, and keep on folding to create a long worm. Wrap it around the neck twice and tie a square knot, positioning the knot in front or a little to the side.
4. Hair Candy
Use a neckerchief as a headband, or tie it around the band of a ponytail. You’ll need a larger square scarf for the headband, and a smaller neckerchief for the ponytail. Cotton scarves tend to feel more secure when used as a headband (silky ones are slippery.)
5. Bag Candy
Tie a neckerchief to the strap or handle of a handbag. A smaller square scarf works best for this. It’s a great way to wear a scarf away from the face. Fuss-free, and adds patterned interest to your outfit.
6. Arm Candy
And last, another way to wear a neckerchief away from the face. Wrap a small square scarf around the wrist a few times after folding it into a long worm. The knot should finish on top of the wrist. A silky scarf tends to feel the most comfortable for this, although it might be a little tricky to tie on your own.
I bought a Spring neckerchief from the Loft last week, and have worn it a few times with J.Crew’s cashmere tees in the same palette. Personally, I prefer silk to cotton neckerchiefs because they look dressier. I like to wear my neckerchief tied the classic way, but with a strand of chunky pearls for a Modern Retro touch. With my green specs, the effect is quite Maximal. I’m also going to tie a neckerchief to the handle of my bag, just for fun.
