Rising in popularity over the last few seasons and now hitting an all-time high thanks to this spring’s 1970s trend, hippie headbands are absolutely perfect for spring 2011!
Most people I’ve talked to have strong opinions about these headbands – some girls love them and wear them several times a week, while other girls complain that they make their ears or hair look funny.
But fear not if you’re in the latter camp – it’s possible to rock these headbands without suffering from “weird hair syndrome”! Below, I’ve compiled some tips and tricks to help you pick the perfect headband for you, choose where on your head to place it, and how to rock your hippie headband with confidence.
Ready to take this week’s challenge? Read on!
Table of Contents
Tips and Trick for Rocking a Hippie Headband
- Think about width. Thin headbands give off a flirty flower child vibe, whereas a single thick one can make a bold statement.
- Placement is key. The most popular place to wear a hippie headband is across the forehead, but my favorite place to wear one is back a couple inches from your hairline – this way, your hair will fall more naturally, keeping your ears from poking out.
- Choose simple or embellished. Both styles look awesome, but a really fancy headband might be too much if you’re already wearing a busy outfit.
- Any hair texture works! Girls with straight, wavy, curly, coarse, and thin hair types can all pull off the hippie headband.
- Too tight? Uncomfortable headbands can cause headaches. Make yours looser by stretching it over a thick textbook or the back of a chair when you aren’t wearing it.
- Find one that ties. Headbands that tie are perfect if you are self-conscious about the way elastic headbands make your hair fall around your ears. A string or ribbon, tied around your head, can be adjusted to to be as loose or as tight as you want it. My favorite adjustable headbands are American Apparel’s braided belts. (Honestly, I’ve seen more people on the streets wearing these as headbands than as belts!)
- Use them as perfect spring accessories. These go so well with outfits for outdoorsy events. Wear one with denim shorts and a t-shirt for a music festival, with a sundress for a picnic, with your bikini while laying out at the pool, or with a giant pair of sunnies while running errands.
Outfit Inspiration
Tank, Jeans, Platforms, Earrings, Headbands
Release your inner hippie chick with a groovy outfit like this. Flared jeans are hot this season, and a floral tank top is perfect for springtime. Espadrilles are comfortable (for heels!) and right on-trend, and these dream catcher earrings will pull the outfit together nicely. Add a hippie headband for extra interest. Finally, keep this outfit from looking costume-y by adding a classic watch or some timeless sunglasses, like wayfarers or aviators.
Dress, Shoes, Bangles, Earrings, Headband
This outfit combines multiple prints and textures for a unique look that’s perfect for spring. I love this pink printed dress: Worn with gladiators and bangles, it looks exotic and eclectic, but it can also look all-American when paired with espadrilles and a sun hat – your choice! Finish the look with stud earrings and a thick scarf-like head wrap. A headband like this will look great placed right at your hairline, with your hair down and worn over your ears.
CF Reader Looks
Lani Rowley – Washington State University
Stephany C. – LIM College
Took the Challenge? Send Us Your Photos!
Did you wear a hippie headband this week? Take a couple snapshots and send them to fashionchallenge AT collegefashion.net along with your name, school, a description of what you’re wearing, and the URL of your blog if you have one. We’ll post your picture here to inspire other CF readers (and perhaps give your blog a few extra hits).
Can’t wait to see your fierce looks!
What do you think?
Have you been wearing hippie headbands for a while now? What are your favorite things to wear them with? Do you prefer thin ones, or thicker ones? Do you like to wear them across your forehead or on the crown of your head? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment!
I only wear them on summer, but I love them!
I think hippie headbands go great with off-the-shoulder shirts!
My least favorite trend, probably because it just doesn’t work well with my hair type. I also just don’t get it, but I guess that’s the beauty of fashion. Also, whenever I see this trend around my city it’s mostly teenage girls with entirely too much makeup and heavy bangs tucked beneath it. Definitely not a trend for everyone.
I really like hippie headbands! but every time I try to wear one I end up getting puffy mushroom hair on the top of my head. any suggestions?
I think they are cute. I was thinking about wearing one to a music festival, but then decided that would be a super weird tan line! Haha. I love thin normal headbands though! They can be a cute simple touch to an outfit.
i feel like hippie headbands are already out by now… once snookie starts to wear something, i pretty much deem it “over” haha. i wore hippie headbands all the time for a pretty long period, but that was about three years ago. i feel like we need a more current take on the trend.
I don’t like hippie headbands. They look like a braid or a stripe across your forehead.
I think they look great, but have never worn one myself! Maybe I’ll try it now 🙂
Blekh, biggest fashion fauz pas if you ask me.
I love this look and used to do it a lot, but I have straight down bangs now, and am unsure of how to wear a hippie headband. It looks to strange to have my bangs underneath it, but over it is weird, too. I suppose I could wear it higher like that photo of Vanessa Hudgens in the upper right hand corner of the collage, but then it’s just another headband, not a hippie headband.
Love this post, though! I was just at Coachella and these headbands were everywhere!
I LOVE HIPPIE HEADBANDS!!!! My style is so boho so i wear one almost everyday, or at least a few times a week. Where i live, no one really understands fashion so I get a lot of weird looks but I DON’T CARE. Thats the beauty of fashion, you have to rock it with confidence! 🙂
I’ve always wanted to wear the hippie headband, but I’m a little afraid to do it. I don’t know maybe, because I have this feeling that it won’t fit on my style/appearance. Someday I will have the courage to wear one….