Silicone Bracelets

The only constant thing in this world is change. And that certainly holds true in the world of fashion where everything seems fleeting and short-lived. In the case of jewelry bracelets, while one can easily say that this accessory has never truly gone out of style, it’s purpose and meaning drastically changed through the years. During the ancient times, bracelets were largely considered a religious symbol and were also largely regarded as an amulet or some type of protection from bad luck and evil spirits. With the changing times, bracelets soon became more of a fashion accessory that is extensively available in many designs and forms. However, the dawn of the 21st century ushered in a whole new twist in bracelets as it have evolved to become some sort of an awareness wristband that people from all ages and both sexes freely wear to show support for a certain cause.

What sets this type of bracelet from its predecessors is the fact that it does not feature any fancy stones or expensive metals, but are large available in silicone gel form – which, as you might have guessed it is significantly cheaper. Lance Armstrong Foundation originally introduced silicone bracelets using the trademark yellow band as their primary means of raising money to support the scientific researches for cancer. This popularity was further fueled in 2005 as a growing number of charities decided to take the same route of using silicone bracelets in the hope of generating more funds as well as awareness for their causes, such as the BBC’s campaigns against bullying and the Make Poverty History program.

Soon, each cause is represented in different colors for people to easily distinguish fellow advocates. Breast cancer awareness campaigns uses pink, the combination of blue and red are for staunch supporters for epilepsy, and the wounded veterans can will camouflage silicone bracelets to generate more interest. However, these silicone awareness bracelets are not only limited to health-related issues, it is has been assiduously used in the wake of tragedies such as the Hurricane Katrina and even for the Taiwan Independence campaign. While colors primarily represent the cause, more often that not custom silicone bracelets also have a catch phrase embossed on the surface to effectively promote certain causes. Among the popular ones are the “I Believe in Me”, “ Cancer Survivor”, “Blood Donor” and the “ I Make a Difference” themes. The great thing about this accessory is the fact that firm advocates of a certain cause are given something in return for their support that they can show to the rest of the world their support for something they strongly support or believe in.

However, as more and more teenagers are attracted to the colorful accessories that come rather cheap these days, it’s symbol took on a whole new meaning that raised moral concerns. According to the urban legend, a lot of young female teenagers have started using the silicone bracelets as an indication that they are willing to engage in lewd physical acts to any male that would pull the bracelet from their wrists. This rumors seen to be more flagrant in Florida, with reports that the concept of what is known as “shag bracelets” started in Gainesville’s Alachua Elementary School. This certainly raised a moral panic among parents and adults when this news broke out and shed a bad light on silicone bracelets in general. Authorities and concerned parents took action in determining the veracity insinuated in the rumors insinuated and promptly made some disciplinary measures. Since fashion is largely dictated by culture and the preferences of society, one can only anticipate what symbol bracelets would represent next.