I Polled a Lawyer, a Hairstylist, and My Brother About My Scrunchie

I grew up in the '80s and '90s, so when it comes to the scrunchie trend, this isn't exactly my first rodeo. In fact, my brother just reminded me of the collection I kept circa 1989. I was admittedly unsure about re-embracing a trend I last wore when I was approximately 10, so as one does, I sought out second opinion. And a third, fourth, fifth, etc. More on those later.

In choosing my scrunchies (yes, plural—I'm clearly indecisive) for this experiment, I discovered that my taste in the fluffy hair ties hasn't changed much. Although chic, I decided to forgo the $195 Balenciaga version from its S/S 18 collection, as tempting as it may be. Instead, I went straight for the under-$10 purple, pink, and sparkly options, which I have only mild regrets about. (If you're going to wear a scrunchie, what's the point of wearing a subtle one, right?)

My initial feelings once my new scrunchies arrived in the mail weren't entirely positive. I struggled to find a hairstyle that didn't make me look like an extra on Saved By the Bell, except for a high bun that I finally decided upon (pictured above). As a reborn scrunchie wearer, I pretty much stuck with that style or the even safer around-my-wrist look (also pictured below). But for my poll, I went with a good old-fashion high ponytail that would've made Stephanie Tanner proud.

Read on to see what a lawyer, hairstylist, my brother, and a few others had to say about my scrunchie, and shop the coolest ones on the market.

My Lawyer Friend: 

My lawyer friend Aerin fully supported my scrunchie, saying, "It's so pretty with your hair color. I love it! So chic." I asked her if she would ever wear one again, and she clearly beat me to the trend, as she responded, "Yes, I have one from Club Monaco!" She added, "I think they are actually really functional and pretty. And they kind of got a bad reputation in the '90s. But yes, I like them."

My Husband:

Most of my husband's reactions consisted of him either curiously staring at or laughing at my scrunchies over the past few weeks. The nugget that stood out the most was when he informed me that I should wear one the next time I get jury duty, as they'll probably release the crazy girl in the scrunchie pretty quickly.

My Brother:

My brother witnessed my first scrunchie phase in full force, so I'm sure he was amused when I sent him a picture of me wearing a giant purple scrunchie. His response? "Hmmm. Welp… It's purple LOL. Reminds me of 1989." I told him what my husband's feedback was, and he said, "I agree with him. And a fanny pack. I hear those are back too." (I added that if you threw in a pair of dad sneakers, it would be a very cool outfit right now.)

My Hairstylist:

I wore my purple scrunchie to an appointment with my hairstylist last week. She didn't mention it initially, so I subtly asked for her opinion about it, and after a thoughtful pause, she said, "I'm not into the whole scrunchie phase, but I like the color and it looks cute on you." I asked her what it is that she didn't like about it, and she replied, "I think it's the fabric." She did point out that she's into the metal hair clip trend, though. 

My Sister-in-Law:

My sister-in-law took a democratic approach when I showed up at a concert wearing a scrunchie. She said, "I definitely couldn't pull it off, but everything you're wearing goes with the scrunchie, and it works." For the record, I was wearing Levi's mom jeans and a leather jacket.

My Best Friend:

I texted a photo of my scrunchie-adorned ponytail to my best friend, who supportively replied, "OMG kinda LOVE it: If anyone can pull that off, it is certainly you." I'm not sure I agree with her there, but I accepted the compliment and asked if she'd ever wear even a black one (90% of her wardrobe is black). She replied, "Probs not but not because I don't think it's cute/chic. I just don't think I'm cool enough to haha."

The Verdict

While reactions were mixed, I think the consensus is that I kind of pulled the look off, but only my lawyer friend was into the trend enough to actually wear it herself. I think that if I continue on my scrunchie-wearing journey, I may tone it down just a bit and not opt for one that's voluminous and purple, as tempting as it may be.

Shop more of my picks below:

In conclusion, if you like the scrunchie trend, wear it while you can. It may not come around again for another two decades.