The Hippie Headband

Stylelist.com has a disturbing slide show of headband photos featuring one with Lagerfeld and Lohan. I think it was at this point that Lagerfeld denied Lohan the Chanel model contract.

This headband revival has been going on for some time and I'm still shaken-up by the disastrous attempts at wearing them that I see going on this summer. 74% of Omiru's readers accept the headband and say they would wear them. I just don't think it is a good idea. There is a such a fine line with headbands. It is like wearing a stick of dynamite on your head. Think about it...
A hippie headband has got to be subtle. It has got to be honest. They betray a certain personality type and if you aren't of that personality and character they clash and look like costume jewellery. Your entire wardrobe has to integrate seamlessly with the item because it is so flagrantly and undeniably wrapped around your face. It is a crude anachronism better reserved for Halloween or Grateful Dead reunions. When they look too new they are gimmicks. If they sport a designer logo they are gimmicks.

I have only ever come across one single girl who has executed the wearing of the headband with enough precision and expertise for it to be almost transcendentaly part of her being. I was seeking a sandwich on commercial drive and decided to drop in at my favourite sandwich spot. As I walked up to the counter a blonde counter girl approached me. She was wearing a thin, brown leather headband and asked me what I wanted on my sandwich. Normally at this point I would have asked to be served by someone else because of the headband but she had such an aura of confidence and tranquility about her that so perfectly matched the skull wrap. She recommended the Mexican salami cured in tequila. I accepted. And I'll never forget that day. The day I actually realized that in some strict circumstances the headband could be an acceptable fashion item. Still to this day I wonder about what exactly made the headband appropriate to her personality. It could have been the sandwich. It was a good sandwich. But I think it was something more. Something deeper.

Example: See how Yukio Mishima's Hajimaki matches his samurai physique and his stern and confident stance. See how his Seki no Magoroku blade and white fundoshi are natural compliments to the headband. It works. And you get the sense that he's been wearing these items throughout his life. His outfit is a natural extension of his inner character and he would not be out of place wearing these shopping on Robson or pounding them back to the beats at Fabric.