You Give Headbands A Bad Name April 11, 2007
Posted by charmingbutsingle in Friends, Men, Random Musings on Life.trackback
I read this fashion tip in Cosmo a few weeks ago (it was probably an old issue) about how to wear a headband this season. I must admit, I’m not a big fan of headbands because they never seem to sit correctly on my head. But Cosmo told me that the way to wear a headband this season was to pull your hair back into a ponytail and then wear the headband in addition to that.
It is “edgier” this way, said Cosmo. And who am I to argue with a Beacon of Modern Style, Glamour and Taste like Cosmo? I mean, I am nothing if I am not edgy, right?
I’d purchased an inexpensive headband with a scarf attached to it to try out this “fashion” trend. Being cheap, the scarf ripped right off the headband the other morning when I was contemplating what to do with my tangled mane of unruly hair, which needed to be put back very badly despite the fact that it was too wavy up top to stay flat and smooth. Luckily, I remembered the wisdom of Cosmo and the headband and edginess. And I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail-like bun and tied and pinned the scarf around my head like a headband, accessorized with dangly silver earrings and went about my day. I wasn’t sure I looked how I was supposed to look, but at least my hair was completely off my face.
A guy I know, probably in his mid-30s, saw me and said, “You’re totally rocking that look. Very 80s.”
“What?” I said, confused.
He tried to explain, “You know, you look like we should be heading to see Bon Jovi or something.”
“WHAT?”
Flustered, he exclaimed, “I mean going to see Bon Jovi in the GOOD way!”
And thus, another way men and women are different. Guys, we will never see you comparing our hair and Bon Jovi’s in the “good” way.
Sadly that is life. What seems to be a sometimes witty compliment/observation turns out to be the opposite. We can only hope that our bumbling is cute.
Fashion tips from Cosmo? Oh, Charming. Cosmo is the devil. Although, their tips on “sex techniques that will have him eating out of your hand” are endlessly entertaining. I imagine the editors looking at each other after every issue and saying, “They’re still buying it. What next?”
You can call me, sir — My sarcasm about Cosmo didn’t translate? I mean,”And who am I to argue with a Beacon of Modern Style, Glamour and Taste like Cosmo?” Not sarcastic enough for you to realize that I’m not some Cosmo devotee?
Men have no idea what to say sometimes. lol
Don’t feel bad…I give headbands a bad name too.
I put one on, felt like I was right back in 1985, and said “um…how ’bout no.”
Sarcasm definitely noted, but you still wore the headband…and shook hands with the devil.
Dirty, dirty girl.
I think the Bon Jovi comment was penance, though.
I have a love hate relationship with headbands, especially the scarves. I’ve had better luck with the wide band ones from J. Crew, or also the ones that are actually a band, but have a scarf attached so you don’t have to worry about slippage.
With headbands, I’ll never have to wash my hair again!
Ooooh I’m loving headbands - especially the two band elastic ones which hold back your hair on I Can’t Be Bothered To Wash It I’m So Hungover days.
But I’m with you - any comparison with JBJ in terms of hair is hardly a compliment.
I never grew my hair long enough to be able to wear headbands. And that was such a drag back in the 80’s when Madonna popularized them….and ribbons and bows.
I think I need therapy as a result of this most egregious omission.
Enjoy your work!
lauriekendrick.wordpress.com
Headbands are such a youth trauma for me! I’d always had a fringe as a child and when I was 12 I decided to let my fringe grow into a, erm, fringeless state of being. My Dad forced me to wear headbands so I wouldn’t have hair in front of my eyes constantly. Curse headbands!
I do have to say that I love that new headband wave. I’m all about retro looks, so I feel super happy about it. And since now I’ve finally figured out how to properly wear them (I didn’t read Cosmo, I just looked around to see what people were wearing), I’m super happy.
I remember when the look was hair pinned back in a disheveled bun/updo thing with a thin wire/beaded headband set in front of it. What purpose, exactly, was the headband supposed to serve? To this day I have no idea.
Oh good god. I’m sure he THOUGHT he was being complimentary. Very funny.
i could never rock the headbands look. i think bangs are the way to go for me haha! well at least he said bon jovi… at least they are kinda cool haha!
I went through a headband period for about a year back in 2003. When I see pics of me during that time, I cringe. I pull it back in a ponytail most of the time now, much more flattering for me and so easy to do!
Yeah, for the guys a really ‘bad hair day’ means; 1.) The ball/feed cap 2.) The old Filson cap 3.) The cowboy/country boy hat. But happily most of the time few people notice. Cheers, ‘VJ’
Oh, there’s just nothing like when a guy tries to make a compliment and it completely backfires, is there? Poor schmuck.
And now I’ve got Bon Jovi playing in my head to boot…
I can’t believe that guy said that and I can’t believe that Cosmo would tell you such things. On behalf of men everywhere, I apologize. Sometimes, we forget…
I can’t wear hats. For some reason, no hat looks good on me. Believe me, I’ve tried too. Baseball cap? Nope. Cowboy hat? Nope. Fedora? Nope. I wish I could though. I like hats.
Can we use this as proof that Cosmo doesn’t know everything?
haha! men are so funny.
Wait, I feel I have to stand up for the poor shmuck - he wasn’t saying your hair looked like Jon Bon Jovi’s, he merely mentioned the band to illustrate the time period to which he was referring. He was saying you looked all cute and dolled up to go to a super-rad concert for a totally tubular band, like Bon Jovi, because they rock!
You could perhaps make a case that he chose that specific band throug a Freudian connection, but I don’t know if you’re going to be able to make that fly - any 80’s band had that hair. Unless he was going to take you to see Tiffany or Debbie Gibson, but then the compliment would have lost something because everybody knows you don’t get *that* dressed up to go to a concert in a mall.
Take it as a compliment. The 80s are back, and uber-cool, according to everything (Vogue incl.) over here. Embrace it!
Does that mean I should get a Flock of Seagulls haircut?