Five Ways to Style a Silk Bow

A customer in Madhurawada sent me a photo last month of a low ponytail with my wine satin looped twice and pinched in the middle so it sat flat like a bow against her hair. I had sewn that piece as a plain scrunchie. She had turned it into something else entirely with nothing but a twist of the wrist. I have been doing it her way ever since, and it turns out a soft satin piece will hold a bow shape better than stiff ribbon does, because the fabric creases where you want it to and then relaxes back when you take it out.

So here are five ways I actually wear a silky bow on ordinary days, with the small details that make each one sit properly instead of sliding out by lunch.

1. The flat bow at the nape

Gather a low ponytail, sitting just above the hollow at the back of your neck. Wrap the scrunchie once, then on the second pass, do not pull it all the way through. Stop halfway, pinch the loop flat with two fingers, and let the loose end fall over the pinch. You get two soft wings and a knot in the centre. Satin is what makes this work, because the fabric folds and stays folded for a few hours.

I do this most often with the Wine Vibe Scrunchie because the deep burgundy reads almost like velvet ribbon in photographs, and it does not fight with a printed kurta.

2. High and slightly off centre

A bow sitting dead centre on top of the head looks like a costume. Move it two fingers to the right or left of your parting and it suddenly looks intentional. Take a half-up section from the temples back, secure it, then bring the bow to the side of the base rather than over it. This is the one I wear to the fabric market, hair off my face, nothing swinging into my eyes.

Prints do well here since the shape is small and simple. The Zebra Luxe Satin Scrunchie and the Black Polka Scrunchie both hold their pattern when twisted, which not every print does. Fine stripes tend to disappear into the fold.

3. At the end of a braid

Braid loosely, leave about three inches of tail, then tie the bow low so the tail flicks out under it. On thick hair, this is the most secure of the five, because the braid itself is doing the holding and the bow only has to sit there and look good.

A ruffled edge gives this a bit more presence than flat satin. The Aurora Ruffle Scrunchie has a gathered outer edge that reads as two layers of ribbon once you pinch it.

4. Wrapped at the base of a bun

Twist your hair into a low bun and pin it first with two bobby pins crossed against the scalp. Then tie the bow around the base, not through the bun. If you use the accessory to hold the bun, the weight pulls the bow sideways within an hour. Pin first, decorate second. This is the trick I wish someone had told me at nineteen.

5. One bow, two small sections

Take two thin sections from the front, the width of a pencil each, bring them to the back of the head and tie the bow over both. The rest of your hair stays down. It takes about fifteen seconds and works on second day hair, which is when I need it most.

• For fine hair: start with slightly damp ends so the satin has something to grip.
• For thick hair: wrap twice, never three times, or the bow shape flattens out.
• In Vizag humidity: satin slides less than polyester ribbon, but a single bobby pin under the knot solves everything.
• Colour: one bright piece per outfit. The Sunny Pop Satin Scrunchie or the Barbie Dream Scrunchie can carry a plain white shirt on their own.

Everything in the shop is cut and finished by hand here, a few pieces at a time, which means a fabric sometimes runs out before I am ready to let it go. If a colour is sitting in your cart and you love it, that is usually the moment.