I Can’t Stop Thinking About Queen Mary’s Trending Scarf Bun
More romantic than a slick back bun, but less complicated than a traditional chignon.
Queen Mary of Denmark knows how to take a style risk, and often tests out trends in her role as Queen of the Danes. The King and Queen of Denmark took a casual royal yacht ride to visit Grenaa Harbor, a coastal town in the center of Denmark. To combat the sea winds, Queen Mary had her hair pulled back with an unexpected twist—literally—in the form of a silk scarf, and my group chat went wild. "I have thought about this bun/scarf multiple times today," one friend declared, while another gushed "love, love, love."
Safe to say, we were obsessed with the scarf bun. More romantic than a slick back bun, but less complicated than a traditional chignon, the scarf bun is the perfect middle ground. “This look is so beautiful,” hairstylist Claire Roberts tells Marie Claire. “It’s the most simple, timeless, and versatile look anyone can create whatever hair type or budget you have.”
The scarf adds an unexpected pop.
Iconic.
Even King Frederik is a fan.
Claire Roberts, who runs a bespoke hair service in Buckinghamshire, declares the scarf bun a sign of “the end of the clean girl era,” while showing “a steer towards the French chic hair, where women always look simply elegant.” The style is easy to do, and Roberts says it's “a great way to create that look even if you’re in a hurry, and have dirty day-two/three hair.”
The style is easy to try yourself, since the scarf does a lot of the work and hides any flaws. Roberts says the trick is simply “placing the hair in a tight ponytail at the base of the neck, twisting the ponytail and gripping it” with the scarf. “It looks flawless because the scarf is the main focus,” she says, noting that the scarf will visually break up any inconsistencies in the bun. “The hair doesn’t even have to be clean, in fact if it’s slightly dirty the better because you won’t get frizz or fly aways,” Roberts shares. I love a good day-three hairstyle.
Queen Mary wearing Jackie-O-style shades and a scarf bun.
Jackie O and her iconic 70s scarves.
“Whether it’s a Zara scarf on a budget, or Chanel, Hermés, or Aspinal of London, this look is so chic,” Roberts tells us, calling it “the modern day Jackie O head scarf look.” Queen Mary’s scarf bun has a soft vintage vibe, reminiscent of Jackie Onassis’s iconic silk scarf in an updated way. Luckily, there are plenty of tutorial videos on social media to show us how to do it.
Queen Mary, who recently turned 54, proves that these modern hair trends are ageless. “This trend could be done on girls as young as five or women of any age up,” Claire Robert shares. “It’s the most versatile and ageless look that anyone can create.”
