Vintage Bandanas │ Perennial Vintage Supply

I pick up bandanas like I eat chocolate: a lot.

Okay, so my sweet tooth is down to a minimum these days and I only eat a single piece of chocolate after dinner as my dessert. 

But, bandanas aren't bad for your teeth last time I checked.

I wear bandanas all the time. In my hair, around my wrist, and of course, around my neck. I also add one to my purse sometimes.

I've found a few websites that go into great detail about vintage bandanas and how to date them. 

Here are three sites I recommend for further research: 

Heddels: I've talked about them before in a previous post about researching vintage. They are an incredible wealth of information.

Retromonde Vintage: I've read this blog post a few times, very informative.

Thrift Con: Another great post about bandanas

Here's the simple way. This is my one favorite fact I keep in my cap while thrifting: One side of the bandana should be selvedge.

 This means no hem, no stitching, no finished edge. It is a raw edge. So on a vintage bandana, there should be three stitched sides and one raw unstitched side. 

Sometimes, there may be a double selvedge edge. So if all sides are stitched, it's not vintage. Simple as that.

That's all I really try to remember. 

When I'm researching a bandana I own (to sell or keep) I will go through the above-mentioned sites to find out more about what I'm looking for in the bandana.

I picked up this beautiful tan bandana yesterday. The color is unusual and the pattern beautiful. It's probably from the '70s. It's headed to the shop later this week.

I love wearing and selling bandanas so check out my shop if you have a hankering for a handkerchief!