7 Ways to Wear a Headscarf
Whether she was cruising the Mediterranean on a yacht, riding a horse, or sitting in the stands at the Olympic Games, Princess Grace was often seen wearing a silk scarf elegantly wrapped around her head. (She even wore them on screen, most notably in the 1953 movie Mogambo.) For Princess Grace, a head scarf served several different purposes: It shielded her from the sun (and the prying eyes of the paparazzi), kept her hair in place on windy days, and added a pop of color and print to her otherwise understated outfits. The headscarf has recently been turning up (and turning heads) on runways—and on celebrities, and Princess Grace’s own granddaughter, Charlotte Casiraghi. You can wear a scarf in the classic Princess Grace style, or try one of these other chic looks.
1. The Classic Grace
Fold a square scarf in half diagonally, so it makes a triangle (it doesn’t matter if the edges line up exactly). Place the scarf on your head so the center of the folded edge lays an inch or two behind your hairline, and the point of the triangle hangs down the back of your head. Tie the ends under your chin. Princess Grace sometimes knotted the scarf under her chin, and other times just loosely tied it—it’s up to you. Let the ends hang down in the front; or neatly tuck the front and back into the collar of your coat, as Princess Grace often did.
2. The Glamorous Back Tie
Follow the same instructions as above, but instead of tying the ends under your chin, cross the ends under your chin, and then bring them back to the nape of your neck. Make a knot and let the ends hang down your back—or tuck them into the collar of your coat.
3. The Preppy Headband
Fold the scarf diagonally into a triangle, making sure the ends line up. Take the point of the triangle and fold it into the center, leaving about two inches of space between the point and the straight folded edge of the scarf. Moving from left to right, fold until you have one long strip that’s about three inches wide. Place the strip a couple of inches behind your hairline, and check to make sure the ends hang evenly. Then knot the ends at the nape of your neck (under your hair), allowing the ends to hang down your back. For more of a 70’s look, you can push the front of the scarf forward so it sits on your forehead, and tie the ends at the back of your head, over your hair, (instead of at your nape, under your hair). Feel free to pull some hair out in the front to frame your face.
4. The Knotted Headband
For a modern twist on the prep headband, add a knot to the front: Follow the instructions above, but stop once you’ve folded the scarf into a headband-shape strip. At that point, make a knot in the center of the scarf and place the smooth side of the knot in the middle of your hairline, allowing a couple of inches of hair to show. Make sure the ends of the scarf are even, and then tie the ends in a double knot at the nape of your neck (under the length of your hair).
5. The Scarf Braid
Fold the scarf into a headband shape (see above), and set it aside on a flat surface. Then take the top section of your hair (above your ears), pull it back, and secure it with an elastic at the lower-middle back of your head. Wrap the middle of the headband scarf around the elastic. Separate the rest of your hair into two side sections and start loosely braiding, so the scarf is being braided with the middle section of hair. Secure the braid with an elastic, and fluff the ends of the scarf. For a laidback look, muss the braid a bit with your fingers.
6. The Low Ponytail
Pull your hair back into a low ponytail, and secure with an elastic. Fold the scarf into the headband shape, and tie it around the base of the ponytail making a double knot to hold it firmly in place. Let the ends hang down on either side of your ponytail.
7. The Boho Bandana
This style works best with a large scarf and long hair. Fold the scarf in half, diagonally, to make a triangle. Grab both ends and place the long, folded edge across your forehead, at eyebrow height. Reach back and tie the ends in a double knot on the back of your head (the “triangle” will be hanging below the knot, and don’t worry if there’s a lot of fabric—that adds to the cool factor). Gently push the front of the scarf up so it sits above your eyebrows.
The Grace de Monaco silk scarves, inspired by Princess Grace’s dried flower arrangements, are available in soft shades of gold, cream, blue and rose. These abstract floral scarves will elegantly elevate any outfit—no matter which way you choose to tie them.
