British Women Are Reclaiming the Scrunchie — Here's What Fashion Experts Have to Say

It's time to say hello (again) to the humble hair scrunchie, a staple accessory from the 80s, then 90s which has now managed to find cult status among the UK's zillennials.

To many, scrunchies died the day Matt Lucas's Little Britain character Vicky Pollard hit UK screens, for others they should've remained buried in the 80s with spandex and shell suits anyway. With the rise of the skin-care generation, scrunchies have been allowed back into the bathroom for hair-preserving purposes in recent years. But now, looking at social media, trends, the high street, it seems the scrunchie is back and proud.

In actual fact, the scrunchie originates from the late 80s to early 90s, when it had its prominence among young girls. It was brought back into style in the 2010s, used to tame the beach blonde waves of the California tumblr girl, to be worn as a bracelet, or to decorate the "messy bun" updo worn by the likes of Rita Ora and Lily Allen.

Now, along with the rise of Brit-core and the 90s trend, it seems the scrunchie has come back into the mainstream again, thanks to Ganni's Leopard Cotton Scrunchie (£25) making the rounds online and the floods of scrunchies spotted at London Fashion week. Search results for the hair accessory rising by more than 150% in the last six months and a quick look on your high street will confirm their popularity — it's time for the most British of accessories to have its moment again.

Charlotte Day, TV presenter and fashion expert told POPSUGAR UK: "In the past months, there was a huge spike in searches for silk hair ties and scrunchies. The scrunchie in the late 80s and early 90s was incredibly popular and in 2020 we saw them again. The fact that we have seen the resurgence of the 90s nostalgia trend, which has been around for a while and isn't going anywhere soon, probably plays into it as well."

Alison Lowe MBE, fashion consultant and course leader in MBA Fashion Entrepreneurship at the University of East London says: "There has been a growth in the general trend for hair accessories over the past few seasons, with large bows, clips and barrettes adorning models' heads on many international catwalks as well as high streets."

She adds: "The scrunchie is affordable, accessible, can elevate a look while also being a practical and functional accessory and is gentler on the hair." The growth in understanding around hair care and the rise in popularity of silk and satin hair products from pillows to bonnets is another reason for the scrunchie's popularity peak.

Being gentle on hair is a factor which scrunchie brands pride themselves on. Drowsy Sleep's new Skinny Scrunchie Set (£35) promise to "elevate your hair health and style from AM to PM", while STRAAND's XL Satin Scrunchie (£8) claims to be "slick and smooth to avoid snags and breakage," and curl brand Bread Beauty Supply's Bread Puff: Hair and Wrist Scrunchie (£14) has a satin finish to "prevent denting and tugging on hair".

Lowe also highlights the environmental benefits of the scrunchie — they can easily be made at home, using upcycled or deadstock fabrics, lessening waste. They're also more environmentally friendly than plastic adornments. But handmade scrunchie creators have popped their business hats on too, doubling as influencers and making use of the accessory's new virality on TikTok.

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Harper Hair founder Keavy Harper, who sells handmade oversized scrunchies via TikTok shop, SAYS that "scrunchies will never go out of style". Talking about why she began selling the hair accessory back in lockdown, she said: "I was working part-time in Topshop and girls used to come in and buy scrunchies all the time, so I started my business as a lockdown project and it blew up from there," she tells POPSUGAR UK. "You can never have too many scrunchies."

While Harper's message of never having too many scrunchies rings true, Day says it's not necessary to fall into fashion debt to stay on top of this trend — even though luxury fashion houses like Prada, MuiMui and Celine have released stylish yet pricey versions for over £300. "If you're on a budget, go to the high street for your scrunchies. Trends come and go, fashion is cyclical and the fact that we are even talking about scrunchies in 2024 proves that."

We've seen the scrunchie reincarnated in a range of sizes and using materials like organza, tartan and lace - the accessories slot naturally into the ballet core, clean girl trend on TikTok, proving the trickle-down effect is happening. As Lowe explains: "Inspired by leading fashion houses and quickly adopted by celebrities and influencers, the consumer is now scrambling to retrieve old scrunchies or rushing to purchase new ones in a bid to update their look in a cost effective way this season."

Personally, I say all hail the scrunchie. As much as I love a slick-back bun and the clean girl aesthetic, I plan on using the scrunchie to tip-toe into more creative, fun and loud styles that I've been longing to try but too scared to jump head-first into. I'm also all about protecting my curls, and after trying a multitude of snag-free hair ties, I think the scrunchie is my way to go — and be on trend while doing it.