Scrunchies

Fashion Synopsis

Plain ponytails, tied with rubber bands, were a sign of simpler, more painful times. Sometime in the mid-80’s, when big hair needed to be tamed from its hairsprayed heights, scrunchies took over the tresses and lassoed in wild hair.

Scrunchies created fashionable locks for the plain ponytail via a ‘scrunched’ tube of material. The fabric shell covered a circle of elastic and protected the hair from getting twisted in the thin rings. No more tangled, twisted hairs caught between the rubber of old elastic hairbands, or hair pulled to a headache-inducing tightness.

The scrunchy revolutionized hair care: the loose fit allowed hair to be pulled through the fabric as a traditional ponytail, or your locks could be folded over themselves to create a casual ‘chignon’ or bun at the back of the head. Ponytails were no longer just for casual affairs. When scrunchies were made of beautiful silks, cut velvets and fanciful prints, the ponytail matched any outfit and signified elegance.

The best feature of the scrunchy was its ability to be worn around the wrist when you no longer wanted a ponytail. A fashionable bracelet, a charming hair tie… the scrunchy did it all.

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