As long as people have had hair, we've been trying to figure out how to pull it back. Hair ties have been around for a while and won't be leaving us anytime soon. The hair ties we use today are the product of countless adjustments and improvements to these practical items. In this blog we delve deeper into the history of hair elastics.
Let's start.
Early history
Before the discovery of elastic, colored ribbons of cloth were used by women and children to tie hair in the 1650s. Young women wore brightly colored ribbons as a form of status, while older women wore ribbons as a fashion statement. Moreover, fashionable men usually decorate their long hair with bows and ribbons.
The Snood
The snood was a hairnet worn by American women around 1750. Although not a hair tie, it was used to pull hair back.
It is essentially a mesh bag designed to hold the entire length of hair down to the nape of the neck. It is often made from knotted or crocheted yarn. The snood was the real inspiration behind the hair net currently worn routinely by workers in the food service industry.
The Invention of the Queue
You may be surprised to learn that during the 17th and 18th centuries, hair ties (in one form or another) were mostly used by men as accessories and were associated with masculinity.
During this time, men of the Manchu ethnic group in Northeast China shaved the front of their faces and wore their hair long, often in braids. This style was imposed on Han Chinese men during the Manchu conquest of China in the early seventeenth century.
Han Chinese, both men and women, then wore their hair in buns or buns. It was punishable by execution to refuse to wear the new hairstyle, which served as a sign of obedience to their Manchu invaders.
The Manchu people were not the last group to associate hair tying with masculinity. European men also wore their hair tied back in a hair elastic called a "queue" or a "tail." During that time, the style was achieved using a leather belt tied or fastened with a pin, or a pouch known as a "caul".
The Queue lost popularity among the general population as men began to prefer shorter hairstyles, although it remained the standard military hairstyle in most of Europe well into the 19th century.
Invention of the hair elastic
With the discovery of elastic rubber in the 19th century, modern hair bands began to take shape. Thomas Hancock, considered the founder of the rubber industry, received the first patent for the use of elastic in 1820. But at that time rubber was mainly used to fasten gloves, shoes and stockings.
The "elastic loop closure" was not developed and patented until the 1950s by the Massachusetts-based Hook Brown Company. The design combines fabric strands with elastic in a closed loop. The elastic loop closure was primarily intended for use with clothing and footwear, but it was soon realized that it could be a useful alternative to hair elastics.
Hairstyle of 'now'
The current elastic hair ties we know today have evolved and changed after the invention of the elastic loop closure. The adjustment was necessary because traditional elastic bands tended to pull and pull on the hair, resulting in discomfort and even hair loss.
Today, elastic hair ties are used by men and women of all social classes and economic levels to keep their hairstyles in place. The modern hair elastic and headband are the pinnacle of hair freedom.
The comeback of scrunchies
A variety of satin scrunchies in different colors, from gold to cream
Scrunchies are a much more recent development in hair ties. Despite being founded in 1986 by pianist and nightclub singer Rommy Revson, it fell out of favor in the late 1990s. But scrunchies have made a comeback and are popular again. A scrunchie is an elastic band enclosed in a colorful fabric. Even though this particular ponytail holder is as flexible as a rubber band, it probably won't hurt you if it breaks and that's probably why it's so beloved.
Resume
Hair elastics have persisted throughout history and into the current era because they are both aesthetic and functional. The biggest difference between modern hair accessories and those from ancient times are the materials they are made of. If you are familiar with the rich history of hair ties, you will appreciate them much more.