What does bandeau mean?
A bandeau is a narrow band worn around the head, typically to hold the hair back or frame the face, and, in modern fashion, a close-fitting strapless strip of fabric worn across the bust either as underwear or as a summery top. Borrowed directly from French, the word retains a certain elegance in English, appearing frequently in descriptions of bridal wear, vintage fashion, and swimwear. As a hair accessory, it ranges from simple elastic bands to ornate jeweled pieces worn by brides; as a garment, it is prized for its clean, minimal silhouette under sheer or low-cut clothing. The standard plural is 'bandeaux,' following the French pattern seen in words like 'tableaux' and 'chateaux.' Because it can mean either a headband or a strapless top depending on context, careful writers make clear which sense they intend. Its French pedigree and enduring presence on runways make it a word worth knowing for anyone interested in fashion vocabulary.
A narrow band worn around the head, especially to hold the hair in place.
"She smoothed her curls beneath a wide satin bandeau."
This is the older and originally dominant sense of the word.
A close-fitting strapless band of fabric worn across the bust, either as an undergarment or as a top.
"She wore a white linen bandeau with high-waisted trousers at the beach."
Common in twentieth-century and contemporary fashion writing.
The plural follows the French convention of adding -x, as with 'tableaux' and 'chateaux'; it is used consistently in both British and American English.
"The boutique displayed rows of silk bandeaux in jewel tones."
The word for today's strapless summer top was borrowed straight from French centuries before bikinis existed — and its plural, bandeaux, rhymes with 'chateaux.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bandeau
Bandeau comes from the French word bandeau, meaning 'a band or strip,' which itself derives from bande ('band'), ultimately tracing back through Germanic origins shared with English words such as 'band' and 'bind.' The term entered English in the eighteenth century, when it referred chiefly to the ribboned or jeweled bands worn by fashionable women around their heads. In the twentieth century the meaning expanded in fashion contexts to describe the strapless bust band, giving the word its two principal modern senses.
Related word forms
How bandeau is actually used
In contemporary fashion writing, 'bandeau' most often refers to the strapless garment rather than the hair accessory. The plural form 'bandeaux' is standard in both British and American usage. The word carries a stylish, slightly French-flavored connotation in English prose.
Easily confused with bandeau
A bandana is a large square of fabric knotted around the head or neck, whereas a bandeau is a narrow, fitted band or tube worn snugly around the head or the bust.