An ode to the hair tie that ruined my 30th birthday.

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It happened on my 30th birthday.

I'd been planning it for weeks. Securing cute little coupés from the party hire store. Forking out a fortune for helium balloons. Stocking eskies with enough champagne to keep 40 thirsty girls with a drink in their hand at all times. 

And we had the best time. We danced, we took photos. And I loved them.

I was glad I wore red (and not my usual black). That my hair stayed curly for more than five minutes.

The problem?

That one, rogue, beige hair tie on my wrist, glaring back at me in every photo, like a stubborn ex-boyfriend you can't photoshop out of frame.

A great photo…until you see… Image: Cassandra Green.

DUH.

DUH.

DUH.

Pure evil. Image: Cassandra Green.

Sadly, no one had the foresight to tell me to take it off. And so here it is. Haunting every single one of the photos from my 30th birthday.

The proof that, despite entering a new decade, I still have a lot to learn.

Now, I may have gone overboard in the headline. It didn't actually ruin my night. But I wish it hadn't been there. Champagne problems — right?

To examine this *obviously very important* issue, we need to go back to the genesis. I don't know when I started wearing a hair tie on my wrist, but I do know I've never been without one since. 

There's something comforting about it — the quiet security of knowing I can pull my hair up at a moment's notice (usually during a heatwave, deadline panic, or a bout of existential stress-cleaning).

But somewhere along the way, my hair tie became the uninvited guest to all my best moments.

Dinner out? There it is. Graduation photos? Front and centre. My 30th birthday? Immortalised forever, ruining every carefully planned burgundy-aesthetic choice.

Enter: the Gypsea Loop Hair Tie Bangle.

The hair tie in question now has a chic home. The Gypsea Loop Bangle. Image: Cassandra Green.

After my faux pas, I discovered that a wonderful woman by the name of Tracy Morris, a mum of two and former travel presenter, has created a solution to this predicament.

It's a sleek little bracelet with a hidden groove designed to hold your hair tie in place — discreetly and stylishly.

I've been wearing the gold version (with a beige-blonde tie that blends perfectly), and let me tell you: this thing is genius.

It's comfortable, heavy in a "this is real jewellery" kind of way, and somehow looks more elevated with a hair tie in it. 

I haven't had a stray hair tie on my wrist since, which honestly feels like character development.

You can customise your Gypsea Loop Bangle with all manner of hair tie colours, depending on your mood. Image: Gypsea Loop.

It's waterproof, so you can wear it in the shower, but I've also found it's one of the few pieces of jewellery I actually remember to take off before I do (unlike rings or pesky bracelets with clasps). 

The Gypsea Loop even has a tiny notch to help slide the hair tie out — a lifesaver if, like me, you have long or acrylic nails.

It's one of those "why didn't someone think of this sooner?" inventions. And in true Aussie fashion, it was dreamed up by a mum who was also sick of hair ties ruining her photos.

Since launching, Tracy has wracked up over $200k in sales and been featured in Inside Small Business's Top 50 Small Business Leaders for 2025. 

And I can see why. 

Will your life stop if you don't have one? No. 

But is it the best present you could ever think of for the fashion lover? Absolutely.

So yes, consider this my official ode to the humble hair tie — and the clever woman who finally made it chic.

Featured image: Cassandra Green.