How to tie a doo rag

Published: May 5, 2008
Updated: Feb 5, 2019
2 minute read

There are many ways and reasons to wear a doo rag these days. Before wearing this type of head covering, you will need to know how to tie a doo rag. You may think that the doo rag is a recent discovery, however, they can be dated back to the 1930s when women first wore them simply to keep the rollers in their hair while they slept. Then the doo rag became a blue-collar accessory with women working in the factories that needed to find a way to safely keep their hair from getting into the machinery. Today they are worn by many people, including singers, dancers and motorcycle riders. There are many different types available, but the basic bandanna is most widely used and below are the steps to tie a doo rag.

Fold the scarf or bandanna into a triangle. If you buy a pre-folded doo rag, then this step is unnecessary. Those doo rags that are pre-made have long ties already sewn onto them. Lay the bandanna flat and bring two of the corners together to make a triangle.

Pull your hair back with an elastic hair tie. You can take the tie out after you tie the doo rag, if you would like. It is easier to have the hair pulled back when tying the knot in the back because your hair will get in the way, if you don’t, and get stuck in the knot.

Put the bandanna flat against the top of your head. Place the longest edge at your forehead so that there is a corner to the left, right and at the back. Make sure that you pull it flat in order to have enough material to tie in the back.

Tie the corners behind your neck at the nape. Hold a corner in each of your hands and pull it as tight as you can behind your neck and make a knot. Make sure that the front of the doo rag is positioned where you want it to lie on your forehead. Some people like it high on their head, while others let theirs come almost to their eyebrows in the front. You can decide how you want the doo rag to look on you.

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Tuck the remaining corner under the knot. After securing the two outer corners of the doo rag, take the last corner and tuck it under the knot in the back.

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