Fashion is fickle. Just when you thought you caught up with one trend, it blows over, and you are no longer sure if you should still be wearing that scarf or tucking it away in the deep recesses of your wardrobe.
Fortunately, jewelry never seems to go out of style. In this case, the old proverb of “Less is more” does not apply. Whether you decide to go for minimalism or deck yourself out entirely in the contents of your jewelry box, you’re making your own unique fashion statement. What’s even better is that jewelry is not gender-specific. Among one of the most popular pieces for both men and women are bracelets – and most recently, silicone bracelets.
It was in the early 2000s that silicone bracelets started gaining popularity. After all, they are simple, inexpensive, and casual. They allow for a lot of mixing and matching, regardless of the occasion. However, one of their most important qualities is that they are multipurpose. They are no longer purely decorative; they are now both useful and practical.
Awareness Bracelets
An awareness bracelet is one of many styles of these silicone wristbands. In essence, they are used to demonstrate the wearer’s support of a particular cause or organization through debossed messages. This phenomenon gained notable popularity back in 2004, when American cyclist Lance Armstrong organized the Livestrong Foundation, represented by a yellow band, in order to raise awareness of cancer. Three years later saw an increasing number of music bands selling the bracelets to concert-goers. Thanks to the fact that they are cheap to customize, they have become a popular fundraising tool in America primarily, followed by other places in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Nowadays, there is a variety of colors representing at least two different causes each. Some of the most notable ones are red for HIV/AIDS and heart disease, green for cerebral palsy and lymphoma, pink for breast cancer and cleft palate, orange for leukemia and kidney cancer, blue for diabetes and autism, purple for domestic violence and cystic fibrosis, and black for narcolepsy and melanoma.
Medical ID Bracelets
The aforementioned phenomenon was so successful that it managed to give rise to something so practical it’s a wonder it didn’t appear sooner. With so many people suffering from various conditions, the convenience of silicone bracelets grew into a range of wearable medical IDs. These wristbands are decorated with a message readily alerting others of the wearer’s medical condition(s).
Tech Bracelets
Technology has long ago started permeating our lives, layer by layer. In recent times, it has begun infiltrating our jewelry, in the form of pedometers and heart rate counters. Several fitness organizations – such as Fitbit – are quickly growing into leading brands in recreational accessories. Namely, silicone is friendly on the skin and comfortable to wear; in addition, the elastomer these bracelets are made from is durable and flexible, making them the most convenient exercise partners.