Scrunchies were particularly popular in the 1980s and 1990s, including larger, more elaborate versions. Scrunchies regained popularity in the mid 2010s.
Revson's scrunchies were extremely popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Scrunchies initially became popular in the '80s because they were a less damaging alternative for pulling big hair up. Also, scrunchies came in many different colors and patterns, so they matched the colorful and over-the-top aesthetic of the 1980s. Well-known celebrities such as Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Demi Moore, and Sarah Jessica Parker were all seen wearing them. Debbie Gibson in particular wore them; Madonna wore a large velvet scrunchie in Desperately Seeking Susan. Scrunchies were also featured in popular movies like Heathers, being passed from one Heather to another based on popularity shifts. The popularity of scrunchies continued into the 1990s as well. This time, scrunchies made an appearance in shows such as Friends, Full House, and Seinfeld. The scrunchie's popularity was not limited to celebrities and television: many female astronauts used them to secure their hair while they were on a mission.
Even after its loss of popularity, the scrunchie made a comeback in the late 2010s. It was seen all over runways making its way back into fashion. In 2017, scrunchies appeared at the New York Fashion Week as part of Mansur Gavriel's fall 2017 collection. It was an event that fashion publications like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar would mention in their own articles; scrunchies were coming back but as low, loose ponytails rather than on top of the head. A Vogue editor even included the scrunchie in a "can't-live-without hair products" list coining it as an essential accessory for makeup-removal time at the end of the workday. The scrunchie has expanded on its popularity, with even Balenciaga getting involved, selling an "XXL" silk scrunchie for $275.
Scrunchies are no stranger to the public sphere, making their way into the hair and on the wrists of celebrities. Famous women such as Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Selena Gomez have all been seen wearing them again. Singer Lizzo generated news when she wore a $100 scrunchie with jewels on it backstage at MTV's Video Music Awards. It was featured in the popular Netflix original movie To All the Boys I've Loved Before as a symbol of power struggle between main character Lara Jean and her former BFF, and the character Eleven on Stranger Things was seen wearing them in the third season of the show in 2019.
Scrunchies are often exchanged between tweens and young teens as a sign of an emerging romance. Generally, a girl will give a boy a scrunchie as a sign of affection or to say that he is "cute" or that he is her "crush", and the boy will wear the scrunchie usually on his wrist.
There have been over five hundred different designs of scrunchies since its invention. There are many different brands and stores that sell them. In the US, almost every major store sold some sort of scrunchie in 2019.
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