THE HEAD WRAP IS WRAPPING UP THE FASHION ELITE

When they first showed up on celebrities and bikers, head wraps seemed like a trendy alternative to a hat. But after a season of showing up on models and runway shows (we saw them at the Swimwear show in Miami this week) the head-wrap or scarf-tie has become a full fledged fashion statement. Street vendors in NYC are selling them and musicians and celebrities are donning them as a solution to a bad hair day.

The fashion press calls them bandannas – if you want to know what the fashion blogs are saying about them read on:

Hollywood’s Going Bandannas—Hot or Not?

Britney’s wearing them and so is Ashton. Bandannas are behind one of the hottest new looks in Hollywood right now.

Our fashion editor Karen says it’s a look that’s better left to Jack Sparrow, and, maybe it’s the way these celebrities are sporting them, but I completely agree it’s not a good look.

There are days when a good bandanna probably comes in handy, but not when your hair’s scraggly and flying all over the place and not if you’re a guy making an appearance on the red carpet (ahem, Ashton!) So what do you think? Is this the next trucker-hat trend?

Heads & Tales
PALLAVI KHARADE - TNN

When it comes to matters of the head, it seems that both Bollywood actors and the masses love to make cool fashion statements.

Himesh Reshammiya wears it all the time. In fact, many Bollywood actors can't do without it. Other stars like Salman Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Aamir Khan, Govinda, Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt wear baseball caps on and off. Jackie Shroff loves to wear his bandana, and he carries it off really well too. With the masses emulating their screen idols as well, what explains the popularity of headgear?

Explains Raj Kapadia, fashion designer, "Wearing headgear is a style statement. The kind of headgear depends on the type of attitude one has. For Reshammiya, his trademark caps are more of a good luck charm than a style statement. We have got so used to seeing him wear a cap all the time that we won't be able to recognize him if he takes it off. As for people, it's just a fad and has limited lifespan. If any star is wearing it, they will copy it for some time and then they will forget about it." Kapadia says that headgear is certainly not a new trend.

Deepti Soni, stylist and fashion designer, says, "Not only Bollywood actors, but even Hollywood celebrities like Nicole Richie have been sporting scarves. These scarves are made from very fine luxurious fabric like quality satin or silk, and are very much in demand. Many Indian models too have been wearing long skinny scarves both on and off the ramp.

"Wearing headgear is a mix of attitude, style and comfort. If you are having bad hair days, you can just put on a cap or a scarf and, viola, you look fantastic," says Soni.

While cricketer-turned-actor Salil Ankola feels that most of the stars wear headgear to hide their receding hairlines, model-turned-actor Gautam Kapoor, who always sports his favorite cap, feels it is more about comfort than a style statement. "Headgear is a very personalized accessory. It depends on one's personal taste and style, and also how one looks at it. As far as I am concerned, I have a small air force cap with small stripes. It is not only my favorite cap, but I take pride in my possession. It's comfortable, cool and looks good," says Gautam.

So, whether it is to hide the receding hairlines, or for comfort, or for making a style statement, the headgear has been a great fashion accessory. And, it still is. So, do you wear it too?

pallavi.kharade@timesgroup.com

THE BANDANNA IS A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE AT THE TRUE RELIGION SWIMWEAR SHOW IN MIAMI	THE HIPPIE CHICK PACKS A FASHION PUNCH WITH THE HEAD WRAP AT THE TRUE RELIGION SWIMWEAR SHOW IN MIAMI