Alice band

An Alice band (the technical term for a hair band) is either a flexible horse-shoe shaped garment or a loop of elastic material which is designed to fit over the head and hold long hair away from the face, but let it hang freely at the back.

The Alice band is said to have originated in the period around 1865, following the publication of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. In these novels Alice is sometimes shown wearing a ribbon to keep her long hair away from her face.

The Alice band has had periods of popularity in adult fashion, most recently in the late 20th century, when velvet versions were popular among Sloane Rangers in the UK.

The Alice band used to be an almost universally female item of clothing, but recently has gained popularity amongst men in some countries, owing to a fashion for long hair. The use of Alice bands by men was possibly first made popular by David Beckham and Ronnie O'Sullivan.

In the United States an Alice band is known as a head band or "headband".

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