Show me to the good bandanas, please.

March 30, 2018 6:06 PM

I'm looking for 100% cotton bandanas, of good quality, in traditional paisley patterns. I'm having a surprisingly hard time finding them.

I would like to be able to order a bunch of cotton bandanas.

They should be 100% cotton and have some kind of paisley-themed patterning going on, in white lines on a solid-color background. They should be fairly substantial so as to last a long time, and the white should go all the way through rather than sitting on the surface of the fabric. It would be perfect if they were a few inches larger than normal, but that's not essential.

You'd think this would be easy, as this kind of bandana is basically just what I think of when I think "bandana." However, in the past I've gotten some crappy ones. Either with the white printed on top of the fabric rather than dyed into it, or too thin, or too small. It's really hard to verify all this stuff when shopping online and I don't know of any nearby brick-and-mortar stores that carry them.

I currently have about five bandanas in fairly heavy rotation and they're finally nearing the ends of their lives after years of faithful service. Where can I find reliable replacements?

posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The to Shopping (16 answers total)

I use these and have maybe ten in my house. I often get them at Army-Navy type stores and sometimes i find them at factory outlet type places (like weird discount stores). They are oddly hard to find sometimes in the Northeast so I stock up whenever I find them.
posted by jessamyn at 6:11 PM on March 30, 2018

They cater to reenactors but have wonderful bandanas.
posted by PJMoore at 6:20 PM on March 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

The Hav-a-Hank (this brand name is printed or, I guess, dyed, into the fabric along the edge) brand ones I have meet your basic criteria of being 100% cotton, paisley, not super thin fabric, and with the color/white space going through rather than being printed on, and when I’ve looked online for particular colors I think I’ve seen that brand listed. The one I’m looking at isn’t the softest or brightest bandana I’ve had, though.

Also, an odd possible option for such things is sex shops that cater to a queer crowd because of the hanky code.
posted by needs more cowbell at 6:30 PM on March 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

The Berkeley REI has bandanas so I imagine REI might sell them online as well.
posted by Bella Donna at 6:31 PM on March 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

Riding Warehouse, made in the US, lots of colors, 22x22.
posted by Ideefixe at 6:34 PM on March 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

Tons of them on eBay. Might get some myself now that you mention it.
posted by rodlymight at 6:43 PM on March 30, 2018

I remember seeing lots of these at Michaels and other craft stores -- are there any of those around you?
posted by batter_my_heart at 7:27 PM on March 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

Agreeing about Army-Navy surplus. That's where I find them, and they usually have multiple sizes.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:32 PM on March 30, 2018

You want these from Campmor. I have thirty of them. The white is not just sitting on them (or at least they weren't three years ago, when I bought my batch).
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:41 PM on March 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

I bought mine at Wal-Mart. They look exactly like, and cost the same as the one in The corpse in the library's link.
posted by Dr. Twist at 7:58 PM on March 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yeah so I may literally have about 50 bandanas - about half are classic print or solid.

I got some from Amazon -these are really good and these are okay. However many of my standard bandanas have come from Walmart (craft section and accessories section), Michaels/Hobby Lobby, and Smith's grocery store- the Smith's Marketplace Accessories section specifically. Those craft or standard bandanas seem to be the thick, full print style.

A REALLY good place for some classic, sturdy bananas is Etsy - if you don't mind vintage - your local thrift shop may have some too. However for myself, Etsy is too pricey per bandana for me since I clearly have an addiction.
posted by Crystalinne at 8:21 PM on March 30, 2018

I just came across this blog post on a round up of bandanas and where to source them.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 7:55 AM on March 31, 2018

Block Shop Textiles has some nicer (and pricier) options if that's something you'd consider. They are a larger size and a silk cotton blend.

I tend to wear silk scarves in a bandana-like fashion, mostly second-hand from thrift stores.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 8:03 AM on March 31, 2018

One more option for bandanas from United By Blue. These are 22" square, 100% cotton, and $8 each. Instead of paisely, they feature a single color nature print.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 9:29 AM on March 31, 2018

I usually get my bandanas from REI, Walgreens, or our local grocery co-op, and I’ve also picked them up at Walmart and Target.
posted by montbrarian at 9:49 AM on March 31, 2018

These are the same as the ones in Ideefixee's link, thirty bucks for 12. They have cheaper cotton ones but they are not made in the U.S. Ultimately they are the same price as the ones from Riding Warehouse, you just need to see how much shipping would be.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:17 AM on March 31, 2018