The column in which we question some seemingly out-dated or outrageous traditions and conventions of modern-day society

The humble beginning of the floral wreath headdress parallels the mundane history of the modern 2014 woman still captivated by the phenomenon. With their simple beginnings in beautiful arrangements, these headdresses have tragically become the epitome of homogenized female convention. Although they have made a recent comeback in around 2011 (give or take a petal or two) we can locate the start of their reign as far back to the time of Ancient Greece, or even Jesus, who has been lightly referred to as the first flower child. *Fair to note that bestowed upon his head was a wreath of thorns, but part of the flower family none-the-less.

This look can more recently be attributed to the iconic artist Frida Kahlo who reinvented it throughout the 1930s and 40s as a way to reject the fashions of her modern counterparts and embrace a more traditional Mexican style. All you ladies still wearing these: Jesus and Frieda are fairly hard acts to beat. The problem with this trend isn’t that it’s borrowed from an earthly nostalgic past, but rather that the specimens who are dragging this trend on have no understanding of the empowerment it brought women in the past. Instead, we now observe these clones excessively wearing them all over music festivals like Coachella and Digital Dreams. The look no longer seems effortless as it did in the 60’s when women wore these wreaths topless with pants wide enough to hide a whole family -or, on occasion, an entire village. Instead of raising these roses, daisies, and tulips with love and tenderness from seedlings to mature flowers, cutting them down and then mastering the art of weaving them one by one into a wreath formation, we now see girls skipping through the isles of the dollar store buying synthetic flowers and pasting them together with a glue gun. So, who wore it better: Julius Caesar or modern day raver? Julius. 60’s flower child hippie, or modern day hipster? The 60’s babe. Queen Victoria, or your basic friend who only shops at Brandy Melville? The queen.

It’s an unparalleled competition. But the real question is what are these gigantic wreaths meant to hide? What lies behind the headband? Why is this still a thing?

Featured image courtesy of Veronica Prokopovych