Black ethnic-print square bandana scarf with gold details

Large 120 cm ethnic-print bandana square in black and gold

This 120 x 120 cm square scarf takes the bandana-scarf vocabulary that Oliver Bonas, Next and Liberty London have continued to publish each season and scales it up from the classic 50 x 50 cm pocket-bandana format. The deep black viscose ground is printed with gold ethnic motifs organised in three concentric rings: a central panel of diamond-and-dot rosettes (the classic block-print diamond medallion that ran from Indian Ajrakh textiles into the bandana-scarf tradition), an outer frame of paisley scrolls and small floral medallions (the Liberty-archive vocabulary applied in metallic gold on black), and four striped gold borders that frame the whole composition. Hand-knotted gold corner tassels with small beaded heads finish the perimeter. The 120 cm format is the size at which a bandana-style scarf stops working as a head-wrap and starts working as a neck scarf or a small shoulder shawl, the size that Maje, Sandro and Soeur use for their printed silk scarves.

The bandana-scarf vocabulary scaled up for the daily wardrobe

The bandana-style ethnic print has been a staple of the printed-scarf wardrobe since the 1990s, but in the 2020s it has shifted from the small 50 cm cowboy bandana to the larger 100 to 130 cm square that you can fold around the neck, drape over the shoulder or knot around the handle of a tote bag. This 120 cm format hits that sweet spot. Worn folded around the neck under a black wool coat, the bandana motifs read as a single decorative collar. Folded into a triangle and worn shawl-style over a knit jumper, the scarf becomes a small evening shawl. Knotted around the strap of a tote bag, it works as a graphic accent for an otherwise plain bag.

Styling: black wool coat, leather jacket, white shirt, tote bag accent

Black wool coat + folded neck wrap: the canonical winter daily wear, the bandana print reads as a discreet collar. Leather jacket + triangle fold at the chest: the bandana-style nod to the rock-evening look. White shirt and high-waisted trousers + knotted neck: the menswear-borrowed day look that lifts an otherwise plain outfit. Tote bag handle + bow-knot: the graphic accent for a leather day bag. Other scarves: square scarves, four-sided scarves, scarves.

Materials and care

Fabric: 100% viscose, lightweight and fluid, hand-applied gold metallic print for the diamond rosettes, paisley scrolls, floral medallions and striped borders. Hand-knotted gold corner tassels with small beaded heads. Care: hand wash cold or machine wash on a delicate cycle inside a mesh laundry bag, avoid bleach, iron at low temperature on the reverse if needed, do not tumble dry.

Technical specifications