The Headband

Early in my post-collegiate career, when I was living at home and not necessarily all that interested in my general appearance, I bought three headbands from H&M. Two simple full bands in black and red and a brown woven full band. I mainly wore them to cover up the fact that my hair was in dire need of a trip to the salon.

After I moved to New York in the winter of 2006, I began to accrue more of them. Thin and thick and in all sorts of colors. One day, while at a beauty supply store, I came across a scarf like one. It was black with white polka dots, and it tied at the back. At $1.50 there was no reason, in my mind, to leave the store without it. I probably wore it more than was necessary. Okay, I definitely wore it more than was necessary. I wore it to the point where the scarf piece became dislodged from the black, plastic frame that gave it its shape.


And then I continued to wear the scarf by itself. With skinny jeans tucked in boots and sweaters in the winter. With a green swing coat and brown flats. With simple summer dresses in solid colors.

In a way, it's become a pacifier. Something that I can put on when I'm not sure about the rest of my look. A fall back. A safety net.

Everyone has pieces that fall into that category. The Headband is mine. More than anything else I own. In a wardrobe devoid of patterns, save one, it goes with everything. So unlike the simple black and the shiny pink and the green and navy striped, which rarely enter the rotation, this one doesn't go a week without leaving my apartment.