Hair Raising

Shakir Shaikh of Lucky Imitation Jewellery,says,“I have 50-60 pieces of different hair bands made of materials like soft plastic,metal and cloth. Even in these there are types that have stones,leather,feathers and crystals on them. The price ranges from Rs. 10 for the basic ones to Rs. 65 for the fancy varieties.”

Popularly known to be an accessory for children,the hair band has made a comeback as a style statement for adolescents and teenagers as well. Hugely influenced by upcoming fashion trends in television and the movies,youngsters are opting for fancy,trendy headgear like the kind sported by Katrina Kaif recently in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om.

Speaking about this trend,Saifee Kagalwal of Sanaa’s Collection in Clover Centre says,“ My sales are divided between children and young adults. The kids prefer the more colourful ones with cartoon characters on them while the older people go for the more subdued and sober ones. ”

Laxmi Corner,owned by Sunil Mehbubani is another store that stocks hair bands. Mehbubani believes that the current rage for hair bands is because the hairstyles of today require the use of hair bands to keep the hair in place. He also says that his store stocks all varieties of the same because they are used for different purposes.

Rasika Wakalkar,however,has a different story to tell. As a fashion designer,she believes that the hair band has always been a friend of the chic female to keep her hair in place and is an extension of everyday life. She says,“ The hair band gives a little twist and makes one look different while still being practical. Women are happy to sport them on all occasions,whether they are out on a holiday,running to the gym or even relaxing at the spa.” Rudraksh,a designer boutique that Wakalkar owns has also been getting a good response for their designer hair band collection. About the collection Wakalkar says,“Different fabrics and materials have been used here. People are getting experimental with their looks and hair bands make for a good ally to achieve the same.”

Preshita Bafna,designer and model,swears by the hair band and claims to use them religiously to pep up her look. “ I prefer to use the beaded,wire variety rather than the cloth ones because they are prettier and are equivalent to jewelry for the head. Also,they leave me free from hair hassles,” she says. Another hair band user,Naina Vairale divulges that she prefers them for their utility value saying that hair bands are a boon for people with short locks because it helps to control and shape the hair.