BANDANAS AND THE PAISLEY MOTIF | A TREND OR A LASTING FASHION?

From the American Revolution to Madonna and Bruce Springsteen: where did the fashion of the paisley bandana come from, capable of taking on infinite meanings very different from each other?

The first bandana was born thanks to Martha's love for her husband, the famous General George Washington. He had made the first red handkerchief printed with the image of George on horseback, a hymn to American independence.

Bandanas have a very long history behind them, they participated in the Industrial Revolution as an advertising vehicle, later they became the symbol of coal miners, the "rednecks", or even later, as an accessory for wives left at home during the Second World War. They were and still are an identifying garment of various communities and social groups extremely different from each other, from the American gangs of the 80s to the Japanese culture perfectly represented by the designer Hideaki Shikama.

Today, as soon as we think of the bandana, we immediately think of all those contrasting cashmere patterns , white on colorful backgrounds. They are prints of Persian origin and represent a blooming flower or alternatively a folded cedar. It looks so much like a drop and thanks to its elegance and refinement has conquered the whole fashion world becoming a real style icon.

It is one of the oldest prints in history, and we at Alto Milano like it because it represents all the values we share, such as the importance of traditions, the passion for fabrics and the tailoring of workmanship. It comes from the regions of Kashmir in India where it is used as decoration on the walls of monuments and homes, maintaining the same precision and minutia of detail that makes modern day paisley recognizable.

But how did the paisley fantasy come to Europe?

Thanks to a queen!

Joséphine de Beauharnais wife of Napoleon

Josephine was a fine art collector and lover of novelty, even when it came to fashion. She was the first woman to own an entire paisley patterned wardrobe.

In 900 it will then be an Italian man to clear this fantasy also for men's clothing, the aesthete par excellence Gabriele D'Annunzio, with a silk kimono in "bandana" print.

In today's haute couture, the merit of the fame of this fantasy is undoubtedly to be attributed to Etro, which has created an indissoluble and perfectly successful partnership between the fashion house and paisley.

The bandana pattern always returns cyclically, and how not to mention also pioneering brands of fashion "made in Japan" such as Kapital, Visvim or Children of the Nation Discordance that have used this fantasy adapting it to garments with an urban taste. A boost to the trend is also attributable to the many celebrities who have worn paisley garments, such as A$AP Rocky and Bella Hadid.

Whether it's an etro jacket, a Visvim trouser or a Kapital bag, the fashion of the bandana pattern is a trend that will last over the years. So why not apply it to our beloved socks?

Hence our continuative, the men's sock in fresh cotton of the highest quality in Yuri bandana pattern, in sneakers, ghost or as a sock.

It is composed of three bands in paisley pattern of different colors and you can find it in different color combinations, from the most classic to the most eccentric.

You just have to choose how to match it, do you feel more elegant Etro style, or urban in a total bandana look, Loewe style?

Perfect for the summer, are the embroidered bandanas, which you can see combined with our costumes, made by Chiara Viti, a young entrepreneur who makes beautiful hand-embroidered accessories . You can find it on instagram looking for @tie_embroidery, we are in love with it!

We are waiting for you on our social networks to discover all your bandana outfits!