"Fascinator." My dictionary lists as its second choice: a woman's head scarf. I couldn't find a synonym for “fascinators” in my Synonym Finder. However, I did find several for “fascinate” that are appropriate. They include: attract, charm, bewitch and captivate. “Where is this going?” you ask. If you were around during World War II and you were of the female persuasion you would know. We all wore “fascinators.” We thought they looked fascinating. You might call them head scarves or babushkas.

I was grateful for them since my hair was usually a limp mousy brown mess. This was before the age of hair spray. To get any volume with your “do” you teased the dickens out of it. How did you do that? Back-comb, of course, but it never worked for me. The “fascinator” was my salvation. It covered up my wimpy excuse for hair.

A “fascinator” was a large square of pretty material. It might have a fringed or scalloped edging or maybe just a plain hem. Folded in half in the diagonal, the wide part of the fold was placed at the center of your hairdo with the ends tied under your chin. I had several “fascinators.” Most everyone I knew did.

If you are still reading this piece, you are probably wondering where on earth I am going with it. My, how styles change. Look in the mirror and try to picture yourself with a “fascinator” tied under your chin. Stop laughing. Back in the day we thought we looked very stylish wearing our “fascinators.” If you are still laughing at the idea, consider the mini shifts of the 60's. They looked great on a thin young girl, but add a few years and a number of pounds and a middle-aged woman looked too funny for words.

I searched online for a picture of a head scarf as worn back in the day. I needed one to help me draw a picture. There were none to be found. There were a kajillion pictures of various tying techniques, but none of the “fascinator” kind. There was a definition that described the frilly hats worn by British royalty as “fascinators,” but none for the chin-tied variety. How could this great hair covering fashion be so quickly forgotten? That 30 inch square of material lives on in my memory.

Is some fashion vogue you remember now forgotten? If so, you can understand how I feel about my attractive, captivating “fascinators.” They were great in the wintertime. “Fascinators” kept your ears warm, too.