Scrunchies are everywhere. And while its acceptance in pop culture and fashion has ebbed and flowed since its invention in 1986, the scrunchie has refused to go away.

Some hailed it as a functional and fashionable genius product, while others derided it as an accessory that screamed “suburban.” He left his mark on fashion history by inventing the elastic. She died on her September 7th at the age of 78.

In a 2016 interview talk about business and politics, Revson invented the scrunchie as an alternative to plastic and metal hair ties. She was once married to John Revson’s heir to the Revlon cosmetics empire, but she has no right to claim property to herself, so she had to make as much money as she could.

“I went to Southampton, bought some fabric, and found a used sewing machine for $50. talk about business and politics“It was a pretty big purchase considering the housekeeper’s budget, but I bought it and took it home.”

In a matter of weeks, she taught herself how to sew and completed a prototype. Inspired by the elastic waistband design of her sweatpants, “Scunchie” (pronounced Scoonchee), named after her dog, was born. It later became known as a scrunchie.

Revson patented the design and brought the product to retailers, where it quickly became popular. Some believe it was Philips Meyers who designed a similar product in 1963, but it was his Revson version that we are most familiar with.

The rise and fall (and rise) of the chouchou

Sarah Radin, self-professed scrunchie enthusiast and unofficial Internet historian of scrunchies, wrote in 2019: teen vogue article This design solved a problem for women in the 1980s.

“At a time when thick hair was all the rage, the scrunchie took the basic hair tie to the next level while giving women a way to tug on their hair without damaging it, unlike standard rubber bands,” says Radin. wrote, “Plus, it was just another way to accessorize their already best looks.

Madonna to Paula Abdul, Full houseof Michell Tanner – who catapulted ChouChou to global stardom. NASA astronaut Pamela Melroy went to space wearing a blue scrunchie. This is still commemorated by the Smithsonian today.

But like all trends, the era of the scrunchie has come to an end.

Patrick Michael Hughes, a historian of fashion and decorative arts at the Parsons School of Design, said, “Trends tend to disappear when they’re so cohesive and associated with an idiosyncratic type of person. I have.

One of the most iconic turning points in the story of Chou-Chou, sex and the city‘s Carrie Bradshaw strongly denounced the accessory.

Bradshaw, who is dating author Jack Berger, told Berger that it was unrealistic for a female character in his book to wear a scrunchie in public. a woman in a trendy downtown restaurant, scrrrrunchie! ”

“It was very humorous because it was so true,” Hughes said of the scene. [in the ’90s] It was a little glamorous, things were really booming in the city in terms of nightlife, going out and getting dressed up and being playful…and New York women had a distinct look. was not part of it. ”

Hughes said the scrunchies are a sure sign of a transplant to the city’s outskirts. “Like UGG boots”

As such, the accessory lost popularity and its glory days in mainstream fashion were lost in the early 2000s.

But fast forward 20 years and the early 2000s look is back. And it’s back to its former glory, riding a wave of nostalgic revival.

“I have [been this] It’s a Y2K fashion revival of sorts, and it’s been through the pipeline for years,” said Hughes. Or something like that. I’m cool again. “

Shushu is back on TV, stranger things, for example. At the same time, the rise of athleisure has cemented the scrunchie’s place in many people’s everyday wear, Radin said.

Hughes is skeptical that the scrunchie will take hold. Google’s search data also shows that interest in scrunchies surged in 2019, while maintaining averages above pre-2019 levels.

Yet Revson has left a lasting impact on fashion.

“I think it holds a very important place in terms of being a real trend,” Hughes recalls. “It’s something that, like skinny jeans, has popped up in her taste and in popular culture and made for a very strong moment.”

“She was a genius who came up with an invention that would change the way women dress,” Radin said.

Copyright 2022 NPR. For more information, please visit https://www.npr.org.