70's Wool Strands for Ponytails

Long hair tied with wool strands
Photo: Sergei Kolesnikov/Shutterstock
Q: Back in the 70s we used to tie up our ponytails with thick strands of colored wool, i.e.: Buffy from "Family Affair". Do you know where I can find that type of wool strands now?
 
A: As for finding the specific style of hair ribbon accessory that was popular back in the 70s (I was a fan of "Family Affair" and was especially a fan of Anissa Jones who played "Buffy") I remember those thick twists of cotton wool that so many of the little girls at school wore. However, I have been unable to find any manufacturers who make them today.
 
You could look into making something similar yourself, though. You could take traditional weight yarns and braid lengths of it loosely into an appropriately sized strand of the desired length. Aiglets and fasteners can be found at most craft stores (as can the yarn) to secure the ends of the braids to prevent them from unraveling.
 
Another option would be to locate someone who is skilled in spinning yarn (many crafters who knit and crochet have learned to spin their own yarns to create custom colors and weights) and discuss with them the possibility of having this large twist yarn made by hand.
 
Finally, and simpler still is to look at some of the various lightweight yarns and woolen threads available for many craft purposes. These are usually packaged in long, twisted skeins, which could be taken whole and the ends secured to lock them in place and the skeins themselves be used to tie off ponytails or as an fashion accent for ponytails. Try looking for skeins of Corde` Twists (rattail cording), or skeins of Caron's Rachelette, Soie Crystale, or other embroidery-style threads for this purpose.
 
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See also:
 
Vintage hairstyles
 
Celebrities with ponytails
 
How to put your hair in a ponytail
 
How to fix girls' hair into ponytails
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