by Josh Komon

Created on: September 26, 2008

There is no right or wrong way to tie a bandana. There are however, good ways and bad ways. There are two particular ways (with variations on each) which I find to be stylish, useful, and most importantly, easy. There is the "headband" method, and there is the "total coverage" method.

HEADBAND METHOD

The idea here is to turn a square of cloth into a belt for your hair. First, fold your bandana the long way (across the diagonal) so that opposite corners touch. Starting from the corner on the side opposite your original fold, fold the cloth over, such that the new crease is parallel with the original. Continue to fold repeatedly until you cloth looks like one large rectangle, with pointed ends. Hold the side with the loose parts of fabric to your forehead. Take the ends behind your head and tie a double knot. If the bandana is snug, but not tight, you've done everything right. You will also want to see how it looks in the mirror. The most common mistake made with this method, is to misjudge the width. There is no right or wrong width, as it depends on the person wearing the bandana. If yours looks too thin or too wide, untie everything and start again. When done completely right, this method need not ever be untied, and can be applied just like a headband whenever the situation calls for it.

TOTAL COVERAGE METHOD

This manner of tying your headband should cover all/most of the hair on your head. If you have long hair, obviously, this will not be the case. To undertake this method, begin the same way, by folding your bandana across the diagonal. You will not need to fold anymore here. Just hold the bandana by the folded corners, and place the crease at your eyebrows. It might be easier to be bent over at this point. Get the remaining corner to fall back behind your head. If you have bent over, just stand up quickly, and whip your head back. When that third corner is resting against the back of your head, tie the other ends over it. A single knot may suffice here, but you'll likely be happier with a double knot. The most common problem with this method, is tying your bandana too far down on your forehead, and tying the knot below the remaining corner of the bandana, as opposed to over that remaining corner.

There are obviously tons of other ways to tie a bandana, but these two methods should do everything you would need a bandana to do.

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