The History of Hair Scrunchies
Hair scrunchies have become a staple in women’s hair accessories for decades. If you’ve ever had long hair, the odds are you’ve owned a few scrunchies, and probably loved them. This is why it was so exciting to watch them come back into style around 2019/2020. Wearing your favourite hair accessory while being on-trend, it’s a win-win!
Where exactly did the hair scrunchie come from? Who invented the style and why has it stayed so popular for so long? In this blog, we dive deep into the history of hair scrunchies.
Where Scrunchies Originated
The history of the scrunchie is a lot more interesting than you might think. Back in 1986 a young nightclub singer and pianist, Rommy Revson, was growing tired of the typical metal and plastic hair ties. They were super damaging and ripped her hair out - enough was enough, no more hair damage.
So while house-sitting for a couple of friends out in the Hamptons, she brainstormed up the idea of the infamous scrunchie to be able to pull your hair up in a messy ponytail everyday or high ponytails for a night out. To make her vision come to life she used the waistband of her pyjamas and sewed a piece of fabric around the plastic.
Scrunchie fact: Revson’s original scrunchie, and the sewing machine she used, both now call the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC home.
How did Revson decide on the name ‘scrunchie’? Well, her dog’s name was Scunchie who kept barking at her the night of the inventions. This was the original name when Revson obtained her first patent in 1987. She then sold the license of Scunchie to an international hair accessories company who then changed it to ‘Scünci’, later adjusting the name to include the ‘r’ as it sounded better. The scrunchie was officially born and the rest is history.
The scrunchie rocked the ‘80s world and was soon seen on every star in Hollywood including Madonna, Janet Jackson, Debbie Gibson, and Paula Abdul. Actresses including Demi Moore and Sarah Jessica Parker.
How Hair Scrunchies Made Comeback
After the initial boom of the scrunchie, which lasted well into the early 2000s, the trend began to die off. The scrunchie was associated with being immature and unsophisticated and was seen only from time to time when wearing your hair up in a classic ponytail or bun.
However, this did not last for long as every “it” girl in the spotlight began rocking the scrunchie, from Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, the Hadid sisters, as well as many athletes on the global stage such as Serena Williams, and Naomi Osaka.
Trends come and go and it usually just takes enough time to pass. This is because enough time has to pass for the original wearers of the scrunchie to feel nostalgic about it, and also for the younger generation to discover it for the first time - hence the 2019 explosion of scrunchies.
Reasons Why We Love Scrunchies
They Are Gentle On Hair
Scrunchies don’t cause hair breakage or damage. The fabric layer that surrounds the elastic is the perfect protection barrier for our hair. There is way less friction as the scrunchie holds the hair without ripping it like a traditional hair elastic. It usually also only takes 2-3 wraps around the hair and does not need to be super tight to work well.
Perfect For Working Out
The loose fit of scrunchies is perfect to avoid damage but can be frustrating during any level of activity as your hair might keep falling out. This is why we’ve created the adjustable scrunchie, Strongband™, to hold your hair in place at your desired tightness - perfect for athletes or high-impact women. If you need to secure your hair into a ponytail or bun, you no longer need to sacrifice your hair’s health or fashion trends to do so.
Dress Them Up Or Down
The scrunchie is so versatile. No matter whether you’re headed out on New Year’s Eve, an important interview, a coffee date, or even just going over to a friend’s house for a girl’s night in. You can always add a scrunchie to your outfit with the variety of different colours available now to always match the occasion. Traditionally, you can of course opt to wrap one around your wrist for an accessory - this is popular with the Gen Z’s but also keeps you prepared in case you need to put your hair up while out on the go.
Scrunchies Work For Every Hairstyles
Ponytail, bun, braid, short long, long hair, thick or thin - a scrunchie can do it all. If you want to experiment with different hairstyles while keeping your hair out of your face, we’ve got the blog for you. Check out our recent post all about our 3 favourite go-to hairstyles while at the gym, or in life!
Scrunchies Are Harder To Lose
If you’ve ever used an elastic hair tie then you know that they come in packs of 50+ yet you never have one when you need one! They are small and unnoticeable. If you take your hair down and leave your hair elastic anywhere but in the bathroom, it’s a goner. This is why we love scrunchies! They are big, bright, and easy to spot.
They Come In Different Sizes, Colors, Patterns, and Fabrics!
Another reason why we love scrunchies is that they come in all different styles and designs. They come in as many patterns, colours, sizes, and fabrics as you can imagine. There is, quite literally, a scrunchie for everyone. So, no matter what your style is, you can be confident that there exists a scrunchie that would compliment it.
Strongbands Are A Must Have Scrunchie
You might have noticed, we have a passion for scrunchies! This is why Hairstrong founder, Nicole, started Hairstrong. The goal of Hairstrong scrunchies is so that women no longer have to choose between the health of their hair and efficiency. Nicole’s vision is for women around the world to feel confident that the hair products they choose will allow them to perform any activity and trust that it will perform.
We offer a few different products to suit all different hair types and activity levels. No matter what you will be using the Strongband for, it will not let you, or your hair down.
Hairstrong is more than just a scrunchie—it’s a lifestyle choice for driven women; it’s YOUR Hairstrong.
