Our Modern Tiaras: How Headbands Were Created To Reign
Once upon a time, tiaras exclusively graced the heads of Olympians, noblewomen, and queens. However, in the 21st century, a crown can grace the head of any lady fashionable enough to recognize the timeless elegance and versatility of a headband.
After all, what is a tiara but an ornament meant to suggest status, beauty, and taste? A headband of the right variety offers the same potential when properly managed.
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From Aphrodite to Pocahontas to Kate Middleton, Headbands Reign
Like most notable fashion trends, the headband inevitably emerged onto the world stage due to the influence of an it-girl or influencer, except this girl didn't have Instagram or even the internet. It’s easy to envision her poised before a burnished mirror, waiting patiently as a servant delicately positions a floral wreath into her long tresses. She may have offered the looking glass a coquettish smile before stepping down from her dressing stool to join the festivities and rituals of an important Athenian holiday.
A general consensus among historians infers that the hair wreath, one of the earliest variations of the headband, originated in Ancient Greece around 475 B.C. and was primarily worn as the essential accessory for special occasions. Eventually, it reached its elevation to divine status when the realms of fashion and athletic prowess combined to create the Kotinos, woven from olive leaves, which was introduced at the first Olympic games in 776 B.C. In the evolving trend, flowers and leaves became personal emblems. For a touch of Aphrodite's femininity, women adorned garlands with myrtle; for a nod to Dionysus, men embraced grapes and ivy. For their part, the Romans incorporated wreaths into their wardrobes too. But they gilded them with gold and jewels – elevating a simple statement to a symbol of opulence, true to the concept of Romanitas.