Bandana cap, the legendary Peslay print is back 15 May 2022 - Posted in: They are Headonist, Lifestyle

The bandana is the star print of the summer. The 100% made in France cap brand Headoniste pays tribute to it with an exceptional bandana cap and a Pirate bob.

Here are the incredible stories that have made this summer's motif a legend.

A cosmopolitan bandana print born in Persia

Very cosmopolitan, the first traces of the Peslay motif can be found in many civilizations of Central Asia and the Far East. The origin of this motif is the "boteh" ("bouquet of flowers", "shrub", "bramble", "grass" in Persian), an ornamental motif of Persian origin symbolising love and romance, life and eternity for the Zoroastrian religion.

The seed motif also represents fertility, which it has links to Hinduism. It resembles the famous yin and yang symbol.

His first representations are very reminiscent of this "bouquet" or "shrub", and if you look closely, even today, at the general shape of the "drop", you may see a small tree. Over the years, it has become more and more geometric and has moved away from the naturalistic representations of the beginning.

The real secret of the bandana print's immortality lies in the way it combines conformity and indiscipline, how it combines its rich history with a powerful ability to adapt, or how it is open to endless and unexpected reinterpretation by designers, stylists and fashion brands.

A symbol of exoticism that has become trendy

It was via the mythical Silk Road and then the East India Company that the motif arrived with great fanfare in the European courts of the 17th century. A symbol of exoticism, luxury and rarity, it was quickly adopted to satisfy the desire for elegance.

Very quickly, the production of the oriental countries was no longer able to satisfy the needs of European fashion, so that the western factories took over the production of this pattern, such as the factories of Norwich in England and Paisley in Scotland, which gave the name that is still used today for the pattern.

The name bandana was coined by Henry Monteith, a Glasgow industrialist who made his red bandanas from Andrinople red, also known as Turkish red. The first designs were pictorial. Gradually, the designs began to resemble the designs common today.

Because the manufacturers do not have the know-how to recreate the dozens and dozens of shimmering colours of the Middle Eastern manufacturers, this motif is therefore declined in a few colours, blue and red. Cashmere is replaced by wool and silk blends, a symbol of elegance and chic.

The working class pride bandana

The bandana as we know it today became popular in the late 1700s, its popularity in the United States coinciding with the American Revolution. George Washington is said to have worn a paisley bandana as a scarf, the popular way to wear bandanas at that time.

The story goes that it was created by Martha Washington in 1775. "It was a patriotic memento to boost morale during the American Revolution. She was on her way to visit her husband when she stopped in Philadelphia. She wanted to bring a gift to George Washington and, on the recommendation of Benjamin Franklin, she asked John Hewston, an engraver, to print a picture of George alongside military flags and cannons.

The bandana with its paisley pattern is now worn on the ties of the working classes, blacksmiths, farmers, sailors, cowboys, miners and railway engineers. It was used to mop the forehead and protect the airways from dust.

In the 1930s, red bandanas were used as scarves by American miners. They used it to cover their mouths and noses to avoid dirt and dust. During this period, because of the widespread use of red bandanas, it is believed to be part of the origin of the term redneck.

The bandana, the chic design for a cap made in France

During the Second World War, it was part of the wardrobe of Rosie the Riveter, the civilian employees of the American army. The bandana in hippie fashion

The next wave of cashmere fashion came in the 1960s, under the influence of the Beatles - in their oriental-influenced phase, the band was crazy about cashmere, and John Lennon even painted his Rolls-Royce with the pattern. It became an emblem of the psychedelic era, with its dizzying acid trip patterns and bright colours, which matched the spirit of the hippie era, the 1967 Summer of Love, inspired by Indian culture and spirituality, which would bring it back into fashion.

Since then, the Paisley/bandana pattern has become one of rock 'n' roll's favourite colours. It has been worn - with the requisite vigour and confidence - by David Bowie, Prince (who named his record label and studio Paisley Park), Bobby Gillespie, Paul Weller, Liam Gallagher, Tupac, Rihanna, and Madonna, among many others. The fashion now extends from hip-hop to bandanas, which many rappers wear.

In a nod to history, the third Manchester City football shirt for the 2020/2021 season features a paisley print.

It is to pay tribute to the small and big stories of the bandana and the Paisley pattern that Headoniste decided to create a bandana cap and bob. The most beautiful way to show French excellence in your head. The bandana, a unisex accessory par excellence, appears this year as the fashionable accessory that men and women alike are snatching up to embellish their look with that rock or country touch that makes all the difference.