How to Tie a Hair Scarf

See outfit details in my Porto Portugal guide here!

HAPPY FRIDAY friends!!

I’m currently sitting outside on our new (still work in progress) “Urban Oasis”–shout out to my friend/old coworker, Jorie, for coining a fancy term for “city balcony.” 😂I’m really excited to have a weekend at home after a ton of travel! We’re going to string lights on the balcony and grab dinner with friends–but other than that, not a ton of plans!

At long last–today I’m finally sharing another highly requested post that I’m just now getting around to writing! (Sorry!) 😂MY HAIR SCARF TUTORIAL!

It’s no secret that I am a HUGE fan of silk scarves–I wear them around my neck all the time and I think they add so much personality to any outfit. (Related: How to tie a French Style Scarf, and How to Tie a Bandana).

When I was in Italy last summer, it was SO. HOT. and sticky that I needed a way to keep my hair off my face but also look cute and stylish at the same time–and–voila! I watched a quick Youtube video and my love for the hair scarf was born. In fact, the hair scarf is probably my #1 traveling hair hack. You don’t need to style your hair (or wash it, for that matter! 😂) when you know how to tie a hair scarf properly.

Keep reading for my super easy Q + A and scarf tying tutorial!

How to tie a hair scarf – Common questions:

What size scarf do you need for a hair scarf?

I get this question A LOT. Here’s the answer: You want something big enough to wrap around your head twice–the scarf I’m using here (just sold out, but it’s from Mango and they have a lot of cute scarves–I’m obsessed with this one!) is about 27″ and it’s BARELY long enough. I’d say anywhere from 27″+ is good depending on the size of your head. (Use your best judgement here.) It’s TOTALLY fine if it’s longer than that–the ends will just hang down in the back, which I think is so cute too!

How do you keep it from slipping off?

I don’t ever have that problem, but I don’t tie it that far back on my head–it’s still quite forward, if it were further back, it would probably slip, but when it’s not too far from your forehead, you shouldn’t have an issue. If you’d like to pin it with bobby pins, you certainly can.

Does the shape of the scarf matter?

Yes and no–most of my scarves are square, but if you had a long scarf (that was long enough to go around your head twice) then that would totally work–I find that square is the most common shape though! Remember, the square needs to be about 25″-35″ long to be able to wrap around your head twice.

More favorite hair tying scarves:

My easy hair scarf tying tutorial:

Fold square scarf in half so it forms a triangle.

Roll the scarf “hot dog” style, from the long end to the point.

Wrap scarf around the back of your head, so the two ends are in the front. Twist the ends around one another, and wrap the ends around the back of your head.

Tie the scarf in the back–into a secure knot.

Push the scarf back slightly away from your forehead–it’s totally up to you, but I like mine where a couple inches of my hair is showing in the front. (See below!)

Note: You want to TIE the scarf before your hairline starts though, so that when you push it back, your hair is smooth in the front. If you tie it where you eventually want it placed, it’s hard to get your hair smooth in the front without messing it up!