Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Marie Claire US
Old Hollywood Vintage Hair Scarves Are the Celeb-Approved Accessory Trend of the Summer
By Halie LeSavage,
6 days ago
Earlier this week, pop star Sabrina Carpenter walked a runway in Paris's Place Vendôme looking like she'd stepped out of a time machine. Her Jacquemus striped maillot and coordinating wrap skirt were only halfway responsible for the comparisons to '40s cartoon pin-ups (to put the memes in politer terms). The real draw for vintage lovers was the "Please Please Please" singer's Old Hollywood hair scarf tied around her bouncy curls and under her chin. It was a hair accessory made for basking in the Saint-Tropez sunshine. It was a hair accessory for staring down a waiter at a beachfront café over the bridge of sharp cat-eye sunglasses. It was also the latest sign of a luxurious summer accessory trend in the making.
Sabrina Carpenter looked like she'd walked off the set of a '40s movie-musical this week, in a Jacquemus maillot and matching hair scarf. (Image credit: Getty Images)
J.Crew Oversized Silk Bandana
Kule The Silk Mischa Bandana Scarf
For the start of basking on a yacht season—that is, summer—celebrities have crowned vintage (or vintage-inspired) scarves their must-pack hair accessory. In Mallorca, Kendall Jenner wrapped her dark brown hair in a floral scarf to accentuate a teeny-tiny string bikini and oval sunglasses. Back in the States, Beyoncé sipped rosé on a Hamptons boat ride in a little white dress , white hair scarf, and white Miu Miu sunglasses. In between trips, stars like Kaia Gerber and Olivia Rodrigo have gone glamorously incognito with floral and dotted bandanas tied over their hair and beneath their chins. Carpenter also wore the same accessory in her music video for the smash-hit "Espresso," paired with a matching swimsuit just like her Paris runway walk.
There's a little bit of function in folding a scarf along the diagonal and fixing it over a low bun or loose curls. But this is a hair moment that's more about the luxury aura than taming flyaways, based on how each one is carefully coordinated with the rest of a capital-L Look . Forget a baseball cap or a simple headband: These do the same job, but with panache. I think a Marie Claire coworker speaks for everyone when she reacts to these photos with, "The vibes are immaculate."
Kendall Jenner and Beyoncé brought out their vintage scarves for summer getaways to Mallorca (for Jenner) and the Hamptons (for Beyoncé). (Image credit: @kendalljenner, @beyonce)
Tasha Mini Flowers Scarf
Kate Spade Noel Silk Bandana Scarf
In a way, the trend is harkening back to Hollywood's golden age of travel style. Before celebrities jet-setted in Alo Yoga leggings and Emi Jay claw clips, they protected their hair against wind on the Pacific Coast Highway or the walkway to their Pan-Am flight with tightly-tied silk scarves. Forever mood board fixtures like Audrey Hepburn and Katharine Hepburn, as well as '50s and '60s stars including Sophia Loren and Joan Collins, were photographed constantly in the demure scarves the likes of Dua Lipa and Lana del Rey are wearing now. In either era, they're paired with sharp cat-eye sunglasses and a slightly aloof attitude.
Jaunty silk scarves are a fixture in celebrity style, stretching back decades to the age of Audrey Hepburn (left) and Joan Collins (right). (Image credit: Getty Images)
Flash forward to the present: Printed and silk scarves aren't just co-starring in celebrities' vacation Instagrams. They're also a fixture in everyday street style—particularly alongside the French Girl updos of Couture Week —elevating easy summer outfits from T-shirts and slip skirts to confectionary off-the-shoulder dresses. Some have tags from Hermès; others are under-$20 Etsy finds. And on TikTok, plenty of intrepid hairfluencers will show you exactly how to tie them .
The real beauty of tying on an Old Hollywood hair scarf is that it's a quick hairstyle with instantly glamorous results, no matter where you're wearing it. But if you're planning to pull your hair back in silk on the prow of a yacht docked in Montauk, invite me next time.
At Couture Week in Paris, guests color-coordinated bandanas and silk scarves to the rest of their outfits. (Image credit: Launchmetrics)
Vintage hair scarves don't have to be overly opulent. This guest at Paris Fashion Week nonchalantly tied hers into a ponytail, with an easy button-down and wide-leg jeans to match. (Image credit: Launchmetrics)
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0