The bandana is the sole defining trend of every summer From the durag to the knotted neck scarf, the great classics never go away and keep coming back

Some trends never go out of style. Such is the case with the bandana, an accessory that over the decades has always found fans in different contexts, shifting according to culture, aesthetics, and stylistic references. Tupac wore the durag in the '90s, Leila Khaled wore the Keffiyeh, and Audrey Hepburn wore a headscarf — just as Zendaya, Bella Hadid, and Zoë Kravitz do today.

But while tracing the history of the bandana may seem like a complex undertaking, recognizing the reasons why this accessory is making such a strong mark on pop culture and street style is fairly straightforward: it's a story about politics, vintage fashion, and the desire to stand out.

In the early 2000s — thanks in part to Carrie Bradshaw in Sex & the City, and in part to the jaw-dropping looks of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in The Simple Life — the bandana was a vintage accessory to be paired with modern outfits, from tube tops to spray tans. Today, however, it-girls are going all in on the full retro look.

Take Gracie Abrams at Glastonbury, who wore red and blue bandanas throughout the festival, sending fans into a frenzy — many of whom read a certain symbolism in those two colors as a reference to her discography. Or Dua Lipa, who wore the accessory time and again during her honeymoon in Italy, which took place during one of the worst heat waves on record.

Recently, alongside the ever-popular paisley print, the simple white bandana has also been gaining significant traction. Renate Reinsve, the lead actress in Joachim Trier's latest film Sentimental Value, wore one at the recent European Film Awards in a Calvin Klein look. Long before that, Hunter Schafer wore one at Cannes to complete her Prada ensemble, while just a couple of days ago Zendaya chose a white Jacquemus bandana for the red carpet of Odyssey, Christopher Nolan's upcoming new film.

For many, wearing a bandana simply means adding an accessory to an outfit that needs a little more color, shielding from the summer sun, and having fun with personal style. For others, however, the item carries a clear cultural and political meaning. Take Bella Hadid, who over the years has expressed her support for the Palestinian cause through her style choices as well — including a dress featuring the same pattern as the Keffiyeh, the scarf that has become a symbol of solidarity and resistance. Either way, the bandana continues to captivate, and judging by its increasingly frequent appearances on red carpets, this accessory looks set to keep making headlines well beyond the end of summer.