Slim, Knit or Wide: A Guide to Three Kinds of Headband

I used to think a headband was a headband. Then I started keeping three in my bag and realized each one does a different job, and the job is decided by width long before color comes into it. The easiest way to shop is from the slimmest band to the widest, so that is how this edit is organized, with each shade placed from warm to cool.

The Starlet is the classic arch, a thin 1 1/8 inch band in custom cellulose acetate with a strong grip, which is the part that matters when you wear one all day. Tortoise Heart is the one that looks like a vintage find, Amaretto Cabana is a creamy stripe that disappears into blonde and light brown hair, and Grey Cabana is the cool, quiet option. A slim arch is the one to wear with a clean blowout or a half-up, because it sits on top of the hair instead of pulling it flat. What I would skip: wearing it on freshly washed, slippery hair without a little texture spray first.

The Infinity is a stretchy band about 8.66 by 1.96 inches, made of acrylic, nylon and polyester, so it stays put through a face wash or a workout class. The knit comes in four neutrals that run from warm to cool: Oat Latte, Cookie Crumbs, Heather Cloud and Dream Cloud, a pale blue. A test I use: if your sweater is already a neutral, pick the shade one step away from it so the band reads as a choice and not an accident.

The Pointelle headband is made from 100% cotton pointelle and is 3 inches wide, soft and breathable enough to wear from morning to night. Blossom is a soft pink, Milk is a clean white and Azure is a pale blue. It is the widest of the three and the one that does the most work on a no-effort hair day, because the band itself becomes the styling.

Pick the width first and the color second, and the drawer sorts itself out. If you only buy one, make it the Starlet in Tortoise Heart.