The humble scrunchie has been transformed, evolving from a nostalgic novelty item into a covetable fashion piece. Versace, Celine and Prada are among the major names to have entered the bobble game with status styles elevated by house logos. The results are simultaneously pleasingly nostalgic, and loaded with spring/summer 2021 freshness.
For one of the greatest scrunchie moments of all time, see Heather Chandler’s scarlet hair tie in Michael Lehmann’s cult 1988 film, Heathers. Along with pleated tennis skirts and pumped-up power blazers, the queen of the popular clique – played by Kim Walker – made a velvet scrunchie one of her style staples in the film.
And who could forget Madonna’s appearance in Desperately Seeking Susan, when she tamed her tousled blonde hair with a statement black scrunchie, adding angular sunnies and an orange lip? Or Uma Thurman’s silky up-do at the premiere of Kill Bill Vol 1 in 2003? Sarah Jessica Parker has also embraced the accessory – despite the fact that her Sex and the City alter-ego, Carrie Bradshaw, is vehemently anti-scrunchie.
It-girls Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber all count themselves as scrunchie fans – the latter wore a black velvet style with her candy-floss-pink Alexander Wang gown to the 2019 Met Gala. And Millie Bobbie Brown helped to set things rolling when she wore a pineapple yellow scrunchie in the third season of Stranger Things.
Below, 15 scrunchies to snap up now.
