‘The Bear’ is fine, but can we please have Sydney’s bandanas?

In all its four seasons to date, The Bear has been many things to us—it’s given us tactile montages of food that make us salivate, it’s doled out drama, it’s engulfed us in its sweaty chaos, and it’s imparted important style notes, smack down in the middle of a noisy kitchen. We’ve read about chef Carmy’s pristine white T-shirts that put Merz B. Schwanen, the German knitwear specialist, back on the map, and we’ve been subconsciously inspired by Richie’s Adidas trackpants and ‘The Real Beef’ tees before his corp-core glow-up.

Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney is a character that shines for her own effortless personal style. The pensive, talented chef is regularly dressed in a sophisticated androgyny that encapsulates American workwear. Off-duty, we see her in powder-pink Stussy carpenter pants, Carhartt overalls, crafty little tees by Bode, and crisp overshirts she probably stole from her father. But most interestingly, in a sea of starched whites and gleaming steel surfaces, Sydney brings some colour in the form of a slew of vibrant scarves and bandanas. In each episode she showcases a variety of prints—from Yayoi Kusama-esque polka dots to quirky fly-fishing illustrations and saturated vegetable motifs.

Reflective of a young millennial’s wardrobe in Chicago, these bandanas complement her assortment of vintage tees. They’re sourced from Kapital, an iconic Japanese brand known for its explorations of Americana, as well as legendary New York-based scarf-makers Echo. While she doesn’t outwardly project it, secretly Sydney probably loves fashion—it’s evident in her small but curated wardrobe of upcycled fleece jackets and boxy going-out outfits.

The bandana is her equivalent of the man’s tie; she uses colour to assert agency in a testosterone-charged workplace, punctuating her custom-made Thom Browne chef’s coat with a side of novelty print. It allows Sydney, a seemingly serious character, to inject humour into the tension of the everyday—perhaps you need some mushrooms draped on your head to counter the portentous facade of the countdown timer. And it serves the dual purpose of replacing the chef’s cap.

Sydney’s obsession with joyfully printed headgear seems especially timely right now, given that silk scarves and bandanas have become the styling obsession of It girls everywhere this summer. Sofia Richie Grainge wore the same black and white seersucker one throughout her summer vacay. Sarita Choudhury took a tulle wrap for a spin while promoting And Just Like That.... Alia Bhatt even showed us how to wear it to a wedding recently—the answer is to pick a jewel-toned bandhani handkerchief that matches your lehenga.

On the spring/summer 2025 runways as well, we witnessed this trend veer away from the more babushka-like connotations—where the scarf is knotted under the chin—to more contemporary style offerings. At Prada, they were worn with gargantuan sunglasses and tiny shorts, while at Gucci they came paired with slouchy jeans and tank tops—less saccharine, more grunge. The scarf might be the missing puzzle piece your wardrobe needs, and while there’s no right or wrong way to wear one, we recommend pairing it with some chunky silver jewellery and a quintessential Sydney eye roll.