Khăn rằn – highlights

Creating a “Khăn rằn” is a time-consuming process that involves spinning yarn into small tufts, dyeing them, and drying them. The result is a stunning piece of art that tells a story of hard work and dedication. Next comes starching the yarn, winding it onto shuttles and bringing it to the loom, weaving it into the significant fabric, and finally cutting it into individual pieces (people in the profession called it “tearing the scarf”).

During the process, the starching (sizing powder taken from rice flour) is considered the most important because it helps the fabric become stiffer and makes it easier to weave the scarf. When weaving is finished, the scarf will have moderate hardness and be easy to fold, but when used and washed many times, the starch layer will away, and the scarf will become soft. That is one of the unique points of “khăn rằn”.

“Khăn rằn Nam Bộ” has a rectangular shape, usually 1.2m long, about 40 to 50cm wide, decorated with white-black or sometimes white-brown square patterns. In the past, it was often used to beautify festival outfits, but later, the scarf became closer to working people when it was widely used in labour and production.

Men usually wrap “khăn rằn” around their foreheads to prevent sweat from falling into their eyes.

Women often wear it around their necks, with two flaps in front of their chest to wipe sweat.

In the South, cultural interference has gradually turned “khăn rằn” into an item used by Khmer, Kinh, Chinese, and Champa people. For the Kinh, “khăn rằn” along with the “áo bà ba” and “nón lá” become a trio that is almost always accompanied. The usage of “khăn rằn” is also very diverse. Not only do they avoid the sun, protect from rain, and wipe away sweat, but they are also a favourite for young girls to be charming.

Older women often wear red-white striped scarves on their heads. Unmarried young women often choose a brighter blue-white striped scarf to wear around their necks or hanging loosely over their shoulders.

Over time, “khăn rằn” has also been transformed into handbags, used in fashion and handbook covers to add vitality to craft villages while bringing this cultural beauty internationally.