A few years back, a good friend of mine showed me a bandana from Red Wing's 100th anniversary collection. As someone who has always had a soft spot for Red Wing boots, I was immediately drawn to it. The print, the weight of the cotton, the whole feel of it was just right. That one moment sent me down a path I haven't come back from since. At WN Blue Vintage, bandanas are always one of the first things I reach for when I'm putting together a new collection.
And the more I looked, the more I realized how deep this rabbit hole goes.
A Brief History — and Elephant Brand
In the United States, bandanas became a true workwear staple through the 19th and early 20th centuries — worn by cowboys, railroad workers, and farmers. Among the many manufacturers of that era, one name stands above the rest for vintage collectors: Elephant Brand.
The brand traces back to Davis & Catterall, founded in 1897, with their elephant trademark registered in 1913. They manufactured bandanas on the East Coast until the 1980s, when production moved overseas — effectively ending the golden era of American bandana making.
So what makes a bandana truly vintage? Look for the FAST COLOR stamp, a dense cotton weave, and pre-1980s production markings. And if you spot an Elephant Brand label, check the logo — trunk pointing down means pre-1960, trunk up means after. Simple as that.
Where Does the Paisley Pattern Actually Come From?
It's one of those patterns so familiar that most people never stop to ask. Paisley originally comes from Persia and Kashmir, where the teardrop-shaped motif — called buta — was woven into fine shawls as far back as the 17th century. British and European textile merchants brought it West, and by the 19th century the Scottish town of Paisley had become so prolific in producing it that the pattern took on the town's name permanently.
By the time American bandana mills picked it up in the early 20th century, paisley had already traveled halfway around the world. That journey is part of what makes a vintage paisley bandana so interesting to hold — it carries more history than its size would suggest.
