If you were around in the '80s, then you know all about the super squad quad of nighttime soaps that included Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Dallas, and Knots Landing. My parents were fans of all four, so their theme songs, along with the ones for Sesame Street and Mister Rogers, are firmly lodged in my mind. To me, that music always meant drama, glamour, and, above all else, big shoulder pads and much bigger hair. And what better way to tamp down or amp up a bitchin' bouffant than with a happenin' headband?
Ah, headbands, those timeless comrades of the cranium. In the early '90s, I remember soft headwraps accented with knots as being a thing. I had one in mustard that anchored my teased bangs during many a mall crawl and math class. So when knot-topped hard headbands recently came into style, I thought, hey, I know you. More sculptural than their pliable predecessors, these twisty finishing touches add the kind of oomph that can come from only a tiny yet towering turban. I quickly acquired a trio (above), two striped and one rainbow metallic. Wearing them makes me feel happy, nostalgic and trendsetting all at once.
So the next time I'm watching The Undoing or A Million Little Things, I'll reminisce about how my love of stories and accessories started.
To paraphrase one of my favorite songs from the '80s:
"Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth? Ooh, Heaven is a place on earth."
You know. If heaven were a hair doodad that didn't feel like it was squeezing your skull.