Accessory Fads: Remember These? – Now its Silly Bandz
by aviva
Every few years, some new trend in fashion sweeps around the world. Some “gotta have it” items are so unique and ubiquitous that they become symbols of a certain era – like poodle skirts or bellbottoms. I had a chat with a second-grader about his Silly Bandz the other day, which inspired me to take a look back at some of the top accessory trends of the last fifty years. Did you wear any of these?
- Cat-eye glasses were a staple of the fifties wardrobe, preferably decorated with rhinestones. And don’t forget the scarf around the neck!
- The sixties were all about big hair – teased, back-combed, ratted, and rolled. The bigger the bouffant, the better. The more Aqua Net and Dippity-Do, the better. And then, moving into the seventies, hairstyles took a total 180; hippie-chic called for long, straight, air-dried, single-length hair. Curly girls, as my mother likes to tell me, had to tape their wet hair around soda cans to get it fashionably straight.
- Mood rings originated in the seventies, and then came back during the nineties. Everyone pretended that the color changes had to do with your state of mind, but the truth is that mood rings contain a thermochromic substance – something that changes color as it experiences changes in temperature.
- The eighties was an age of both practical (scrunchies and banana clips) and pointless (slap bracelets) trends. And do you remember t-shirt clips? I’d forgotten about the tie-your-baggy-shirt-up-at-one-side thing until I started researching this post.
- During the nineties, butterfly clips were the big thing; the more the merrier. I had a friend who had so many that you could cover her entire head with them, like a shimmery plastic helmet.
- Jelly bracelets came in during the eighties; Madonna favored black ones, but kids went for glittery, colorful styles instead. And they eventually evolved into the “awareness bracelets” that are still kinda popular – starting with the yellow “Livestrong” bands that the Lance Armstrong Foundation created to show support for cancer research. In a way, I guess they’ve evolved into one of today’s hottest fads.
Yup. Silly Bandz.
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- A t-shirt clip
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- A creative use for butterfly clips
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- Oodles of scrunchies
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- I wonder what mood this ring is in?
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- When neon colors were in too…
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- A typical hippie headband
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- Cat-eyes, complete with sparkly corners
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- The pouffy bouffant
ah yes, butterfly clips. I liked those. Also used to own a number of the awareness bracelets. I wonder where they went. Don’t have any silly bands, but my daughter likes them. Though I doubt they are safe for an almost 2 year old. Speaking of silly bands, have you seen the Jewish themed ones at Eichlers.com ?
My mom got the kids some silly band and I decided to put a string through it so that my oldest could wear it as a necklace. I fail to see the fun if you can’t tell what it is but one of the boys who sits near him in class had them halfway to his elbow! I had some faboo t-shirt clips back when they were cool. :}
I was crazy about butterfly clips, slap bracelets and mood rings…but I don’t like these “silly bands”.
I remember the mood rings. I liked the Hypercolor shirts of the 90′s.
All my kids came home with silly bands on today. They are doing a fundraiser and that was their incentive to bring in pledges. It’s amazing how much money they cost considering what they are made of.
I had pretty much all of these. I’ve seen 1 year olds in my sons class with silly bandz
UGH Silly Bandz. The tackiest trend ever (those “awareness” bands are just as bad in my opinion. In the end it is just more plastic trash. How is it that when it is so “fashionable” to be “green” these days, such an eco disaster is also popular? Someone call the fashion police!
I did own a few scrunchies, I will admit. I made a bunch myself, too!
Wow, this brings back memories!
post retweeted – thanks
wore lots of these things never had the cat eye glasses but always wanted a pair
I miss mood rings! I’m not a fan of the silly bands…
I also like the hippie headbands…
LOL butterfly clips.
silly bands are just silly
Ah yes, I so remember those tiny butterfly clips. I used to where them all the time. Now my daughter wears them. She looks so cute with them in here hair. Oh and I remember those scrunchies and jelly bracelets. I never really wore the jelly bracelets but the scrunchies all the time. I couldn’t go out anywhere with out one. lol.
Just “tweeted” for you
My hubby’s little cousin is obsessed with silly bands! So when we were up there on vacation I went out and bout a whole bunch of them so we could trade. She was so excited! I was big on the WWJD bracelets and the oodles of remake ones that came after that..
I was never about whats “in” but once the trend fades out is when i get interested in things. I love being me and nobody else.. but then again anything pink or purple is always “in” to me lol
I still have a whole bag of scrunchies and butterfly clips! I see these teenage boys with these silly band things–a little weird, to be honest, but then again, I remember when boys used to wear friendship bracelets at camp. Hmmmm
Thanks! Fun memories of these fads!
Oh yes, and the mood rings. I almost bought myself a new one last winter when I found some really nicely made ones
I had a pair of my mom’s old cat-eye sunglasses that I used for dress up. I was very sad when they finally broke.
My sister used to put butterfly clips in my hair all the time!
Wow- I had a lot of those… I used to love mood rings, still do, even though I know it is all based on how hot or cold you are
also wore scrunchies all the time, and played with my slap bracelets, I hurt myself with those sometimes if it would come out of the wrapper. I also had some butterfuly clips, a friend got me into those…
love the retro stuff
Just retweeted: https://twitter.com/OneUniqueQueen
Not into the Silly Bandz craze, but as a child I had slap bracelets and t-shirt clips from my older sister. She was more or less my fashion guru! I got to be her dress up doll. Anything she wanted to try she did it to me first! It was fun but a lot of it was weird
I remember having like a million slap bands. I also wore new kids on the block shirts like everyday..
Mood Rings and Jelly Bracelets.. I havent seen those in so long I was a little bit obsessed back then . I bought my kids Silly Bandz they wore them for two days and then were over them.
I have to admit that I’m getting married in 2 and a half months, and I have close to 100 silly bandz :/ I guess that’s what happens when your a kindergarten teacher…
Heard now there are silly socks, i would like silly hair accessories when you come up with that then we will really be talking
who remembers slap bracelets?? i remember when i was into them…
I did the T-shirt clip! I had a few, the regular round one, and even had a parrot shaped one from one of the islands! I think cat-eyed glasses were back in the ’90s, had a pair of the plastic rims! Slap bracelets were so much fun! And boy did I have a ton of scrunchies for my hair! Never wore more than one in each pony, but I had a ton to match different outfits. I think that I could still find them at my parents’ house!
i used to love those slap bracelets. i love the silly bands too but and if i were a kid now id probably have a nice size collection.
my 7 year old son collects silly bands he loves them I hate them but what can we do our parents had to deal with our collections too
I had cat-eye glasses…no rhinestones!lol
I had all of these besides for the glasses. I always had coordinating scrunchies when I was younger. my son got into the silly bandz in camp this summer and is basically over them but my almost 2 year old is obsessed with them now.
all the kids have sillybands now! what a fad!!
my gs loves silly bands!
I used to have a mood ring: it was always blue and the little paper said that that meant I was in love
My daughter loves the silly bands.
Love these silly bandz. Would love to win cover your hair contest too!
I looooooove silly bands. They r so cute on the kids….
I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/donnak4/status/26508171105
I think this fad is silly, along with every other fad that kids come out with these days.