Buck Mason’s Bandana Is a Does-It-All Accessory That Really Delivers—Especially Now
SHOP $25, buckmason.com
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We've talked a lot about the appeal of the bandana recently, particularly vis-à-vis menswear's broader appreciation for that most American of archetypes, the cowboy. And amid the CDC's ongoing recommendation that people across the country wear some sort of cloth face covering in public whenever possible, the bandana, an iconic mainstay of Western style has—rightfully or not—roared back into fashion.
Here it's crucial to note that recent research indicates actual masks are still, to no one's surprise, by far the most effective covering when it comes to stopping the spread of the virus. Wearing a bandana as a face mask is ill-advised, though certainly better than nothing. (Seriously, if it's bandana or nothing, go with the bandana.) As a makeshift headband, maybe to keep those newly-long lockdown tresses in check, or, hell, worn as a neckerchief to accent any outfit that needs a little added oomph, a bandana couldn't be a better play.
And Buck Mason's version of the style, made from an organic cotton milled in Japan, has just enough personality to set you apart from the rest of the pack.
Buck Mason doesn't mess around.
If you first heard about Buck Mason through a friend's fanatical devotion to the brand's curved-hem tees—a smash-hit product that damn-near built the label—you know that Buck Mason doesn't mess around. Ever. (Period.) The same dedication to craft that lends its signature tees their sense of elegant slubbiness defines the brand's approach to its entire range of clothing and accessories, big or small. In other words, a classic paisley number you can buy in threes at a drugstore down the block this isn't. In other other words, you should buy this one instead.
Throwing one on is an expert-level summer swerve that calls for minimal extra effort.
As Austen might put it, it's a truth universally acknowledged that any dude in possession of a solid sense of style must be in want of as many accessories as possible each and every summer. Because (as we've noted before), warmer weather might be nice when you're out frolicking in the sun or whatever, but it's no friend to the intricate layering practices you've been relying on to get these goddamn fits off. Knowing how to add a little spice to any given outfit is the key to separating the real menswear savants from the amateurs who are in it for shits and giggles. The right finishing touches make all the difference.
This ain't a game, dog. But if it was, it'd be my responsibility to make sure you stay winning, and rocking a bandana is an easy way to rack up W after W, all summer long.
SHOP $25, buckmason.com
It's shit as a face mask alternative, but perfect for, like, everything else.
To reiterate: A preponderance of research now points to bandanas as one of the least effective face mask alternatives around. (Wear the mask, dude. Goddamn. You people are stubborn as all hell.) But as a handy dandy means of exasperatedly swatting at the flies milling about your face mid bike ride? Go for it, man. Leave a little hint of blue sticking out of your pocket Springsteen-style for all I care. Or make like another equally iconic music legend and—caution: expert-level swerve ahead—wrap that shit around your head in a fitting tribute to Pac. In pre-pandemic times, you could even fold one up real nice and stuff it into a sport coat's breast pocket as an impromptu sort of pocket square. (In my mind "pre-pandemic times" is a catch-all phrase that also encompasses the period when people actually wore sport coats and, uh, pocket squares.)
Don't believe me? Take it from Travis Scott, singular rap phenom and noted bandana-as-accessory enthusiast. La Flame might not have saved my life, as the kids say, but if you follow his advice and rock your bandana the right way (and then throw a mask on, too), he might save yours.
SHOP $25, buckmason.com
Photography and prop styling by Allie Holloway
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