The name “Neck Gaiter” doesn’t do the tubular piece of fabric justice. It’s not just something you wear around your neck for warmth. You can fold it, scrunch it, and stretch it in a variety of different ways to form so many styles of headwear. In fact, a Neck Gaiter is more like a Swiss Army fashion accessory. Its versatility makes it a year-round essential you can wear while tossing snowballs at your kids or jogging around the neighborhood on a sunny day.
A Neck Gaiter is also a unique canvas to showcase all-over prints by your favorite Threadless artists. Their designs are so wildly imaginative, strangers might stop and ask you where you got your Neck Gaiter—sorry, introverts! To show you just how adaptable the Neck Gaiter is, we made a list of our six favorite ways to wear one. Behold, the shapeshifting Neck Gaiter, available in Performance and Extra Soft styles!
1. Neck Gaiter (AKA Neck Warmer, Neckerchief)
Let’s start off with the most obvious way you can wear a Neck Gaiter—as a Neck Gaiter! In cool weather, it’ll softly hug your jugular with the warmth of a BFF you haven’t seen since high school. It’ll get you through a brisk, early-morning stroll before the sun rises. It’ll keep you toasty while you shred the gnar during snowboarding trips. When the weather outside has an ice chip on its shoulder, match a double-layer Neck Gaiter with a warm coat.
2. Face Shield
Pull that tube of fabric above your nose and just under your eyes, and abracadabra! You have a face shield. As it blocks dust and bugs from your face, the Neck Gaiter will give you the comfort and breathability you want during exercise. Moisture-wicking fabric draws sweat away from your face while you dig deep for that last mile or struggle to open your pre-workout powder. You can do it!
Please note, the CDC currently recommends wearing a two-layer Neck Gaiter in public if you plan on wearing it in lieu of a Face Mask. Don’t forget, Threadless also has a ton of Face Masks, too!
3. Headband
Do you know what your eyeballs find most annoying about you? Your sweat and your hair. Keep both from coming in contact with your eyes by wearing a Neck Gaiter as a headband. Not only is it functional, but it also nicely complements your athleisure outfits. Athletic wear is both comfy and stylish, whether you’re exercising or making a butt print in your recliner.
4. Balaclava
While wearing the Neck Gaiter as a face shield, pull the back of it over your head and tuck in the edges to make a balaclava. This style of headwear covers most of your head, which is where you lose a lot of your heat in cold weather. It’ll also protect your face from the wind while you’re biking or sticking your head out the car window like a puppy. Add a pair of shades, and you’ll look like Audrey Hepburn about to hitch a ride on a ski lift. You’re effortlessly cool, yet comfortably warm.
5. Headwrap
Long, flowing locks of hair look glorious when you’re running in slow motion on the beach. But aside from aesthetics, they mostly just get in the way. Control your magnificent mane by wearing a Neck Gaiter as a headwrap—similar to a headband, only not scrunched up. This style keeps your hair from flying all willy-nilly while you’re working outside or enjoying a picnic on a sunny afternoon.
6. Beanie
I swear this isn’t some sort of sorcery. You can transform a Neck Gaiter into a lightweight, two-layer beanie. Just turn it inside out, twist it at the center, and fold it into itself—like this. Your makeshift beanie will look best with a Neck Gaiter that has a bold all-over print. You can wear a beanie all year, and it does the trick when you want to hide messy bed hair or a well-intentioned quarantine haircut.
7. BONUS: All the styles!
Adding one Neck Gaiter to your wardrobe is like adding 12 accessories to your wardrobe. And to top it off, its practicality matches its versatility. That stretchy, tubular piece of fabric will keep you warm, absorb your sweat, and block the sun from your skin. It’s the unsung hero of accessories! Find hundreds of artist-made Neck Gaiters at Threadless.
The design featured at the top of this post is “Modern Banana Leaf” by mmartabc.
