The fascinating history of the scrunchie
We are experiencing a blast from the past as most of the beauty trends of the 80s and 90s are making a comeback. Be it makeup, hair cuts and colors, cute mom jeans, or the humble hair scrunchie--it's all out there this year. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Hadid sisters are proudly flaunting the hair scrunchies and their history dates back several years.
The scrunchie was invented by Philips E. Meyers in 1963. However, the accessory fizzled out and didn't gain as much recognition. But it re-emerged almost two decades later. Nightclub pianist and singer Rommy Revson is credited with bringing the scrunchie back into the scene in 1986. She was looking for an alternative to plastic and metal hair ties as they caused severe hair damage.
The idea struck Revson when she was house-sitting in the Hamptons. Her mind wandered to the waistband of her pajamas and that is when she thought of creating an elastic hair tie with a piece of cloth around it. She created the first prototype of the scrunchie in a classic black and gold style and it was officially patented in 1987.
Believe it or not, the scrunchie holds a special place in fashion history. If you visit the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, you can see the prototype and the sewing machine she used to make it sitting there.
Revson named the hair accessory after her cute pet toy poodle--Scunchie. After receiving the patent, she sold the design rights to Scunci International, and they named it Scünci. Later, they added an "r" to it and called it scrunchie. It was done to match the way the fabric scrunched up naturally. Many others believe it was done as "scrunchie" was just easier to say.
The scrunchie became immensely popular after 80s artists like Janet Jackson, Madonna, Paula Abdul, and others started flaunting it. You could see the general public wearing it when out and about. Actresses like Sarah Jessica Parker and Demi Moore also rocked the accessory. It continued to have its moment when popular mid-90s shows like Full House, Friends, and Seinfeld showcased it.
The scrunchie began to lose its shine by the year 2003. Carrie Bradshaw, the iconic Sex and the City character, was so critical of the scrunchie in one of the episodes that people literally didn't want to be seen wearing one anymore. In the episode titled Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little, Bradshaw gasped at the idea of a strong New York woman wearing a scrunchie.
Scrunchies made an official comeback in the late 2010s and in recent times celebrities like Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Hailey Beiber have been seen sporting them. You can also spot models proudly flaunting it on runaways.
