GEN Z REVIVES SURPRISING '90S STYLE STAPLE AT GLASTONBURY

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Gracie Abrams appears to have sparked a bandana revival at Glastonbury, turning it into Gen Z's hottest festival trend.

Gracie Abrams stepped onstage at this year's Glastonbury Festival in a striking red and white bandana—and within hours, the accessory appeared to have caught traction within members of the audience and viewers elsewhere.

In a matter of days, the 25-year-old singer-songwriter has become the unexpected poster girl for the revival of the '90s-era bandana.

Her performance outfit, captured widely on social media, coincided with a noticeable uptick in festivalgoers sporting the retro scarf in varying colors and styles.

Clips of Abrams both on and off the stage have circulated on TikTok, where fans are already sharing how they are sporting the headscarf in a "Gracie Abrams way," as one user, @sophierosam, wrote in a TikTok post viewed thousands of times.

"With the festival season in full swing and the most recent Cowboy Carter tour the bandana style has been making a comeback as the perfect accessory to add to your outfit," fashion and celebrity stylist Lara Grayson, known online as @laraemmastylist, told Newsweek. "We are seeing the '90s trends having a moment, we had the return of the jelly shoes last summer and of course the slip dress which is now an infamous wardrobe staple that was iconic in the '90s."

Glastonbury, with its decades-long history as a music and style incubator, is once again serving as a flashpoint for trends that stretch well beyond its remote location in Worthy Farm, England.

In the early 2000s, the festival's boho-grunge identity played a key role in launching now-iconic looks, often associated with Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. Today, it appears poised to do so again.

Bandanas in Style

The bandana's return is not entirely sudden.

Last popularized in the 1990s and early 2000s by public figures like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Jennifer Aniston and Britney Spears, the accessory has long held cultural cachet.

In recent years, it found a niche resurgence through cottagecore aesthetics popular online and even made an appearance on Versace's autumn winter 2021 showcase.

But this year's Glastonbury marks a notable turning point, with widespread adoption among young women in the crowd suggesting the trend has crossed into more mainstream territory.

Gracie Abrams performs at Glastonbury Festival. Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Abrams, known for her brown bob, stripped-down style and minimal aesthetic, wore the red-and-white bandana tied across her head, paired with a simple ensemble that let the scarf stand out.

Her look resonated strongly with her fan base and beyond, inspiring a surge of imitators across social media platforms. TikTok videos featuring the singer in her bandana have been viewed tens of thousands of times, with commenters praising the effortless style and swiftly sharing their own versions of the look.

Also fanning the trend's momentum is Sofia Richie Grainge, another Gen Z style influencer with more than 10 million followers on

Instagram alone. Grainge, the 26-year-old daughter of Lionel Ritchie, has been photographed wearing similar scarf-styled headgear, as have other members of the U.S. style set like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid.

Richie Grainge's endorsement adds high-fashion appeal to the accessory's already growing visibility.

Headscarves and hair accessories more broadly have seen a renaissance over the past year, with the trend raising some eyebrows in winter 2024 as knitted bonnets briefly captured fashion attention. But where those styles leaned toward seasonal novelty, the bandana's

Glastonbury-fueled revival suggests something more enduring.

The number of attendees spotted in the accessory, combined with its virality online, point to a wider movement.

That Glastonbury would be the launchpad for such a trend is not surprising.

For years, the festival has shaped cultural tastes beyond music, hosting performances by global stars while acting as a runway for celebrity-attendees and influencers alike.

The 2000s saw the rise of "festival style," and many of its core elements—fringe, florals, muddy boots—can be traced back to the fields in Somerset, England, where the festival is held.

The current wave feels reminiscent, albeit tailored to a new generation with a different relationship to nostalgia and fashion cycles.

This return of the bandana also reflects Gen Z's broader embrace of '90s and early 2000s trends and cultural symbols.

"Like all trends it's just a matter of time before they come back around and I say keep the '90s going over Y2K any day, the return of the circle disc belts was enough for me although for the younger generations the Y2K styles won't be going anywhere anytime soon," Grayson said. "I'm all for the hype of the return of the bandana, it can definitely make your outfit more stylish plus the iconic paisley print is versatile, wear it round your neck, as a belt and of course on your head under a hat."

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