Cowboy Style: Why You Should Punch It Up With A Wild Rag

If you’ve ever watched a western movie, no doubt you will recognize a cowboy by their ten gallon hat, the jingle-jangle of their spurs, and a dusty bandana tied around their neck. And, in those very same movies, the bandit bank-robbers usually had a bandana pulled up to cover their face and mask their identity.

While this unique piece of fabric goes by many names — bandana, kerchief, mascada (scarf, in Spanish), or buckaroo scarf — I call mine, a “wild rag.” They were and still are one of the most valuable tools of a cowboy. And, even though they go by a lot of different names, one thing is certain.

No real cowboy in the old west would work without his wild rag.

A wild rag is a scarf worn around the neck by cowboys and others involved in western heritage. They are worn by both cowboys and cowgirls, for both work and for play. But fast forward to today’s times and you won’t just see a cowboy wearing one. Wild rags have gone from neckwear to headwear to belts and, even, as pony tail holders in just the last few years.

Out of necessity, the wild rag is born

Wild rags date back as far as the mid 1800’s, when cowboys were known to use old flour sacks cut into squares when fabric such as a cotton was either too expensive are…