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Kerchief

 
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A kerchief (from the French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 couvre-chef, "cover the head") is a triangular
Triangle

A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three corners or wikt:vertex and three sides or edges which are line segments....
 or square
Square (geometry)

In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular polygon with four equal sides and four equal angles . A square with vertices ABCD would be denoted ....
 piece of cloth tied around the head or around the neck
Neck

The neck is the part of the body on many limbed vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The scientific term signifying "of the neck" is nuchal....
 for protective or decorative purposes. The popularity of head kerchiefs may vary by culture or religion, as among Amish
Amish

The various Amish or Amish Mennonite church fellowships are Christian religious denominations, and form a very traditional subgrouping of Mennonite churches....
 women, Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism is a Jewish denominations of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict constructionist and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim....
 women, Muslim
Hijab

Hijab or ?ijab is the Arabic word for "curtain / cover" , based on the root ??? meaning "to cover, to veil, to shelter". In popular use, hijab means "head cover and modest dress for women" among Muslims, which most Islamic legal systems define as covering everything except the face, feet and hands in public....
 women, and older Slavic
Slavic

Slavic and Slavonic are used interchangeably in English, with the former preferred in U.S. English, and the latter in UK English. The Oxford English Dictionary gives citations of Slavonic back to the mid-17th century, whereas it seems that Slavic only appeared in the 19th century....
 women.

A "handkerchief
Handkerchief

A handkerchief is a form of a kerchief, typically a square of Textile that can be carried in the pocket, for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or blowing one's nose, but also used as a decorative accessory in a suit pocket....
" or "hanky" primarily refers to a napkin
Napkin

A napkin or serviette is a rectangle of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth while eating. It is usually small and folded....
 made of cloth, used to dab away perspiration, clear the sinus
Sinus

Sinus may refer to:In anatomy, where a sinus is a sac or cavity in any organ or tissue:*Sinus , description of the general term*Paranasal sinuses, air cavities in the cranial bones, especially those near the nose, including:...
es, or, in Victorian
Victorian era

The Victorian Era of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the period of Victoria of the United Kingdom reign from June 1837 to January 1901....
 times, as a means of flirtation.






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A kerchief (from the French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 couvre-chef, "cover the head") is a triangular
Triangle

A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three corners or wikt:vertex and three sides or edges which are line segments....
 or square
Square (geometry)

In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular polygon with four equal sides and four equal angles . A square with vertices ABCD would be denoted ....
 piece of cloth tied around the head or around the neck
Neck

The neck is the part of the body on many limbed vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The scientific term signifying "of the neck" is nuchal....
 for protective or decorative purposes. The popularity of head kerchiefs may vary by culture or religion, as among Amish
Amish

The various Amish or Amish Mennonite church fellowships are Christian religious denominations, and form a very traditional subgrouping of Mennonite churches....
 women, Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism is a Jewish denominations of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict constructionist and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim....
 women, Muslim
Hijab

Hijab or ?ijab is the Arabic word for "curtain / cover" , based on the root ??? meaning "to cover, to veil, to shelter". In popular use, hijab means "head cover and modest dress for women" among Muslims, which most Islamic legal systems define as covering everything except the face, feet and hands in public....
 women, and older Slavic
Slavic

Slavic and Slavonic are used interchangeably in English, with the former preferred in U.S. English, and the latter in UK English. The Oxford English Dictionary gives citations of Slavonic back to the mid-17th century, whereas it seems that Slavic only appeared in the 19th century....
 women.

A "handkerchief
Handkerchief

A handkerchief is a form of a kerchief, typically a square of Textile that can be carried in the pocket, for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or blowing one's nose, but also used as a decorative accessory in a suit pocket....
" or "hanky" primarily refers to a napkin
Napkin

A napkin or serviette is a rectangle of cloth or paper used at the table for wiping the mouth while eating. It is usually small and folded....
 made of cloth, used to dab away perspiration, clear the sinus
Sinus

Sinus may refer to:In anatomy, where a sinus is a sac or cavity in any organ or tissue:*Sinus , description of the general term*Paranasal sinuses, air cavities in the cranial bones, especially those near the nose, including:...
es, or, in Victorian
Victorian era

The Victorian Era of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the period of Victoria of the United Kingdom reign from June 1837 to January 1901....
 times, as a means of flirtation. A woman could intentionally drop a dainty square of lacy or embroidered fabric to give a favored man a chance to pick it up as an excuse to speak to her while returning it. Handkerchiefs were sometimes scented to be used like a nosegay
Nosegay

A nosegay, posey , flower bouquet or tussie-mussie is a small bunch of flowers, typically given as a gift. They have existed in some form since at least medieval times, when they were carried or worn around the head or bodice to mask the unpleasant smells of the time - literally, to keep the nose gay ....
 or tussy-mussy, a way of protecting those who could afford them from the obnoxious scents in the street.

Kerchief - (Ker - cheef), noun; 1 a square of fabric that is tied and folded to wrap gifts and which instead of ending up in the bin can be used repeatedly. Sold on such sites as www.thegreengivingco.com

A bandanna or bandana (from the Hindi
Hindi

Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a Standard language register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 official languages of India, and is used, along with English language, for administration of the central government....
: ????? bandhana, "to tie") is a type of large, usually colorful, kerchief, usually worn on the head. Bandannas are frequently printed in a paisley
Paisley (design)

Paisley or Paisley pattern is a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Persian carpet and Indian origin, similar to half of the Yin yang symbol....
 pattern.

Bandannas are worn as a practical garment by:
  • Outdoor workers such as farmer
    Farmer

    A farmer is a person who raises living organisms for food or raw materials....
    s and cowboy
    Cowboy

    A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks....
    s, who wear them around the neck to wipe the sweat off their faces and keep dust out of their collars.
  • Wildland firefighters
    Wildland fire suppression

    Wildfire suppression refers to the firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfire. Firefighting efforts in wildland areas requires different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated areas....
    , who wear them over the mouth and nose to lessen inhalation of dust and fumes.
  • Dancers and other athletes, who wear them during practice as a simple way of keeping hair and sweat out of their faces.
  • Some soldiers wear bandannas to keep their own sweat and blood out of their eyes.


Bandannas in particular colors are also worn as a means of communication or identification, as with the prominent California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 criminal gangs, the Bloods
Bloods

The Bloods are a street gang originally founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs....
, the Crips
Crips

The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang founded in Los Angeles, California in 1971 mainly by 15-year-old Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams....
, the Norteņos
Norteņos

The Norte?os , also Norte, are affiliated with Nuestra Familia , are a coalition of traditionally Latino gangs in Northern California. A member of these gangs is a Norte?o or Norte?a ; based on Spanish usage....
, and the Sureņos
Sureņos

Sure?os are a group of Mexican American street gangs with origins in the oldest barrios of Southern California. There are hundreds of Sure?o gangs in California, and each has its own identity on the streets....
 or in sexual subcultures in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. In the late 1980s/early 1990s, the Bloods
Bloods

The Bloods are a street gang originally founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs....
 and the Crips
Crips

The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang founded in Los Angeles, California in 1971 mainly by 15-year-old Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams....
, wore red or blue paisley bandanas as a signifier of gang affiliation.

See also

  • Do-rag
    Do-rag

    A do-rag, also spelled doo-rag, du-rag, durag is a piece of cloth used to cover the head. A popular folk etymology claims that the term derives from drive-on rag, a term first used by U.S....
  • Fichu
    Fichu

    A fichu is a large, square kerchief worn by women in the 18th century to fill in the low neckline of a bodice. The fichu was generally of linen fabric and was folded diagonally into a triangle and tied, pinned, or tucked into the bodice in front....
  • Hachimaki
    Hachimaki

    A hachimaki is a stylized headband in Culture of Japan, usually made of red or white cloth, worn as a symbol of perseverance or effort by the wearer....
  • Handkerchief
    Handkerchief

    A handkerchief is a form of a kerchief, typically a square of Textile that can be carried in the pocket, for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or blowing one's nose, but also used as a decorative accessory in a suit pocket....
  • Handkerchief code
    Handkerchief code

    Handkerchief code or hanky code is a way of indicating, usually among gay male casual sex-seekers or BDSM practitioners in the leather subculture in the United States, Canada and Europe, whether they are a top or bottom , and what kind of sex they are seeking, by wearing cotton color-coded handkerchiefs , usually in the back po...
  • Headband
    Headband

    A headband is a fashion accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of Elastomer material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal....
  • Headscarf
    Headscarf

    Headscarves are scarf covering most or all of the top of a woman's hair and her head. Headscarves may be worn for a variety of purposes, such as for warmth, for sanitation, for fashion or social distinction; with religious signifiance, to hide baldness, out of modesty, or other forms of social convention....
  • Hijab
    Hijab

    Hijab or ?ijab is the Arabic word for "curtain / cover" , based on the root ??? meaning "to cover, to veil, to shelter". In popular use, hijab means "head cover and modest dress for women" among Muslims, which most Islamic legal systems define as covering everything except the face, feet and hands in public....
  • Neckerchief
    Neckerchief

    A neckerchief is a type of neckwear associated with Scouting and sailors. It consists of a triangular piece of cloth or a rectanglular piece folded into a triangle....
  • Veil
    Veil

    A veil is an article of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, that is intended to cover some part of the head or face. As a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space....
  • Furoshiki
    Furoshiki

    Furoshiki are a type of traditional Japanese Gift wrapping that were frequently used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods. Although possibly dating back as far as the Nara period, the name, meaning "bath spread", derives from the Edo period practice of using them to bundle clothes while at the Sento ....


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