All hail the scrunchie: the ins and outs of this timeless hair accessory

Silky hair scrunchies are everywhere at the moment and the internet is flooded with articles about their comeback. But at Newt we’re wondering if it’s possible for something to be making a comeback when we’re not entirely convinced it ever left in the first place. Besides their functional purposes of keeping your hair out of your face, slip hair scrunchies are one of the best ways to add a pop of colour to an outfit. We’ve even been known to wear them around our wrists to add a bit of pizzazz. It’s style with minimal effort - what’s not to like? This accessory makes a statement both in your hair and in history and we’re excited to share the compelling stories hiding in those silky ruffles with you.

 

Are scrunchies better for your hair?

Above all, we support trends that are just as much good for you and the environment as they are stylish and bold. By design, hair scrunchies are good for your hair and differ from typical hair ties which tend to tug at the hair and cause breakage at the end of the strands. We know you can all sympathise with the high ponytail that comes on hair washing day. Picture the relief you feel when you finally let down your mane. Now, if you’re picturing this glorious moment and imagining yourself painfully tugging a thin hair tie out of your luscious locks, put down the flimsy hair band and back away slowly. Our silky scrunchies are the solution to that pre-shower tug-of-war ritual. Scrunchies are designed by encasing a thin elastic band in a bundle of silky fabric which reduces friction in the hair and protects your strands from any harsh tension.

What are scrunchies made of?

The gentle nature of a scrunchie is completely dependent on the fabric that is used. At Newt, our slip scrunchies are gentle on hair and silky smooth. The fabric we use is made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles and comes from the fabric cut offs from our Newt shirts. We're aiming for a zero-waste fabric policy, which makes scrunchies the ultimate addition to our Newt family. This means, someone else's trash is our treasure! So thank you for helping us reduce the amount of waste on the planet. Not only are our scrunchies themselves sustainable, if you think about it, joining the scrunchie revolution will save so many broken and stretched out hair ties from being thrown into the bin. With scrunchies as beautiful, vibrant and gentle as ours, you’ll never want to go back to the dull black hair tie - trust us.

Are hair scrunchies back in style?

We know that fashion trends are constantly reinventing themselves and coming back around (although, can we all agree that low-rise jeans need to stay buried in 2004?) and scrunchies are no different. These oversized scrunchies may recently be seen on the wrists of TikTok stars today, but these bad boys certainly never left our wrists. If anything, we’ve just recognised the true power of a perfectly placed scrunchie and have traded in our generic colours for bolder patterns like our vibrant Daisy print or our classic Green Shima print, recognising that a scrunchie truly does make an outfit.

Woman laying in green grass reading a book with a daisy print hair scrunchie in hair

hand with painted pastel nails and a green and pink animal print zebra hair scrunchie around wrist

When were scrunchies invented?

Now we’ve established that our trusty companions are not going anywhere, we were curious to find out when and how the scrunchie revolution began and who are its most loyal followers who have continued to carry the torch.

It is recorded that the idea of the scrunchie was first invented by a man named Philips E. Meyers in 1963 but was later created and patented by singer and pianist Rommy Revson in 1987 when she was trying to find a solution that would not damage hair while it was tied back during her performances. Revson eventually sold this patent to the designer Scünci and thus the scrunchie revolution was born, pushing this accessory far beyond the 80’s hair scrunchie trope.

How some of our favourite leading ladies rocked their scrunchies through the years: 

Hillary Clinton wearing a pearl beaded scrunchie while giving a speech

Hillary Clinton wearing a scrunchie in 2012. Photograph: Reuters

One of the scrunchie’s most notable worshipers is Hilary Clinton who joked about changing her book title from Hard Choices to The Scrunchie Chronicles.

 blue fabric hair scrunchie with a light blue background

Image credit: Smithsonian 

Astronaut Pamela Melroy donated this scrunchie to the Smithsonian museum in 2004 after her missions to the International Space Station in 2000 and 2002. Why would someone donate a hair scrunchie to the Smithsonian you might ask? Well, NASA has a policy that all hair should be tied up and carefully secured to prevent injury to the astronaut. Seeing as this policy was specifically targeted at female astronauts since the male astronauts did not have the same worries, this scrunchie represents a major milestone in female participation in the generally male dominated career of space travel.

Madonna on red carpet with elaborate blue silk scrunchie and navy blue gown

Madonna at the Met Gala in 2009

Lizzo performing on stage in an 80's style purple dress with a jewelled silver scrunchie and a blue background

Lizzo at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards
Perhaps one of the most iconic moments that dragged our beloved scrunchie into the limelight was the famous line by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City: “A scrunchie? No woman who works at W magazine and lives on Perry Street would be caught dead wearing a scrunchie!” Well…
Sarah Jessica Parker in 90's scrunchie with black jewelled sunglasses and black satin blazer holding a light pink purse
It’s okay Sarah J, we’ll let it slide. You can definitely rock that 90’s scrunchie. This moment was so iconic for the scrunchie, that the well-known fashion brand Nasty Gal even created their own scrunchie called the Sorry Carrie Bradshaw Velvet Scrunchie.

Where do scrunchies belong today?

All of this is to say that scrunchies are timeless and important and, as history shows, are ever evolving. We hesitate to say that scrunchies are back in style, as we don’t think they ever truly were out of style. A hair scrunchie is not only a practical necessity for people with long hair that is constantly flinging around in the wind, it is also an opportunity to have some fun with your style and add some boldness to everyday looks.

 

Whether you’re wearing a scrunchie to hide post-workout hair, spice up a zoom meeting look, or to get those bangs you cut for yourself in the first lockdown out of your face, remember the bold people that came before you and rocked those stacked ponytails in the past. It’s easy to stand out in our Newt sustainable scrunchies set with vibrant prints that are guaranteed to add a little somethin’ somethin’ to your look without damaging your hair or the planet. Overall, a scrunchie is just an easy way for us to have some fun with our style again. After the year we’ve had we definitely think we deserve to have a little fun.

Now that we have convinced you of the scrunchie's greatness and powerful addition to any self-care routine, it's time to add some to your collection. Shop our bold and colourful scrunchies here.