Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman Just Saved the Too-Short Life of the Puff Headband
We can't stop talking about her impeccable outfit.
When 22-year-old poet Amanda Gorman stepped down from the podium at Joe Biden's presidential inauguration, we were left feeling inspired. Not only were her words powerful, helping to provide us with a renewed sense of hope, her outfit was top notch. We almost felt guilty for how quickly it sent us down a Google spiral; we needed her earrings (a gift from Oprah!), her bright yellow coat, and that puffy headband — a trend this shining star singlehandedly made us love all over again.
For a few short months in 2019 and 2020, puff headbands were the must-have accessory. It was basically the socially-acceptable version of walking around with a tiara on, and everyone from street style stars to royals seemed to be on board. But, alas, the puff headband's reign ended way too quickly. Perhaps due to the pandemic, the accessory suddenly felt extreme and over-the-top — too fancy to wear with our everyday sweats. We started spotting them less and less as people swapped them out for knotted or bow-embellished styles.
Quietly, fashion lovers mourned. Why were we giving up on such an easy, outfit boosting-trick, which was also a great (and summer-appropriate!) alternative to wearing a beret? In October, Seventeen's senior style editor Kelsey Stiegman remarked via Instagram that "puff headbands did NOT get enough time in the limelight," and those in the comments expressed similar thoughts. So, when Gorman stepped out in her red Prada puff at this major historical event? It immediately caught our eye. It felt like this newfound fashion icon was saying "Hey, it's OK to continue to wear these things! Puff headbands are cute as hell! They add a pop of color to your outfit and look good on everyone!"
Thankfully, Prada didn't give up on puff headbands, either. The brand sill sells Gorman's exact option — although, it will set you back $380. Similar, less expensive options are being sold via Etsy, or you can look at the purchase like this: in a way, this accessory is a piece of fashion history, and hopefully thanks to this memorable moment, the trend will be sticking around for a while longer.