Beyond The Basic Bandana

Your hottest accessory is a schmatta

From top right clockwise: a bandana as waist pouch, to cinch the waist of your bottoms, as a lanyard for glasses or keys, and for fastening to a quick bag or pouch.

I am not the first person to tell you a bandana can be your most useful accessory, as this common advice is often offered up as a travel hack or a less than novel fashion tip. While bandanas as head kerchiefs or neckties might be a a great ornamental flourish for some, not all of us have the confidence to pull it off. The one time I covered my head with a square turned triangle, a well-meaning sales lady told me I looked just like the women in Fiddler On The Roof; not one of the characters, all of them.

Along with a binder ring, tie a bandana to your bag handle so it’s there when you need it.

Needless to say, the schmatta stays off my head, and instead gets tied to a bag handle in case it’s needed. I especially need one when the temperature rises and I want to make do without a lot of extra things to hold, like when I’m carrying only a small bag and need to stop at the store pick-up a few extra groceries. By knotting both adjacent corners of a four-sided piece of fabric, the flat material shifts into a copious pouch ready to be filled. You can carry it by holding the two tied ends like handles, or loop one knotted end through the opposite side opening, and it wraps around your belongings and makes a no-hands wrist pouch. (video below)

In the heat of summer when clothing tends to lack large pockets and any shoulder bag can feel cumbersome, I turn a bandana into a waist pouch. The folded pocket keeps a phone safely secure, yet allows me to have quick access without having to untie it all. This is also a nice addition to a paired down outfit in need of a little something extra. (video below)

For pants with wiggle room, a kerchief can cinch the three back loops of your bottoms to shrink the waist without preventing you from having to unknot it every time you want to take them down. Another good reason to never wear a common belt again.

A bandana to cinch your pants (and in my opinion so much better than a belt), and a bandana as a quick lanyard for your glasses or even keys.

Or, how about a sunglasss croakie? Or house key lanyard? Sure it’s a bit unconventional, but it still works, and I can almost see it becoming a thing.

You might be familiar with the Japanese art of wrapping objects known as furoshiki¹. This simple technique uses only a bandana or fabric square to package belongings, most commonly used for presents. Not only is it a lovely way to reuse a piece of fabric, but it’s also a gift, wrapped in a gift, and a very beautifully presented one at that. (video below)

And being of the make-do, scrappy kind of gal, I boldly suggest that a bandana not be of fine silk or embossed with a designer’s trademark, but simply be cut or torn from a no-longer needed oversized shirt, old baby blanket, even a jersey tee. The edges can be frayed, rolled, or neatly stitched up as Erin and I explain in our book ‘Making Things’.

Let us not forget that bandanas are there to wipe a mess, a brow, or tether two things together. And for those bold among us, a necktie can supply a bit of warmth in the cold, soak up sweat in the heat, or to add pizzaz to an old outfit. If tied to the neck or wrist, I recommend a simple knotting technique that can be easily adjusted with only a little tug, because there is nothing worse than being unable to remove a knot when it’s fastened under your chin.

So there you go, make-do, be scrappy and always carry your kerchief.

1. Also a tutorial in ‘Making Things’.