Hairbands – do you have the head for them?

The short answer? Yes. Everyone has a head for hairbands, whether you think you can pull one off or not. If, like me, it’s purely out of laziness or if it’s for very serious fashion reasons, hairbands are our friend…

My first foray into hairbands was aged five, wearing an obscenely large burgundy organza floral monstrosity as a flower girl at a very fancy English wedding. Who did I think I was? My next was aged eight, going to a Boyzone concert, with a blue, cushioned velvet one on my head that had B-O-Y-Z-O-N-E spelled out in silver/grey glue gun writing. The absolute height of style, or so I thought at the time.

Maybe I was subtly traumatised by my early hairband experiences, or maybe they just fell out of favour, but this year they’re back, and I have been gently buzzed about their return.

Fashion and beauty

Straddling the fashion and the beauty spheres, hairbands are style and function perfectly combined, as far as I’m concerned. You wear one to show how ‘on trend’ you are and add a detail to your outfit, but you also wear one – and here’s my biggest motivation – so you can do less styling to your hair, and to keep your hair off your face. Two of my favourite things to do.

Whether you opt for embellishment like the Dolce and Gabbana ones above, or seek your inner tiara girl like the Simone Rocha one below, wearing one takes only one trait – and it’s not a nicely shaped head.

It’s confidence. Wear it, apologise to no one. Own it, accept any sideways glances like they’re compliments, and enjoy your beauty statement with aplomb.

Make sure you don’t get make-up on it, not a good look. Likewise, don’t wear your fancy hairband to do your make-up. If you’re self-conscious about unveiling your ears (I am) pull some strands of hair through the sides of the band to disguise – a full hair pullback can be a bit 90s pre-teen. The bigger the band, the better. Go for drama, make the statement.

Photography by Jason Lloyd Evans.

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