Why the headbands favored by Matildas stars like Ellie Carpenter and Alanna Kennedy aren’t what you think they are

Many of the headbands worn during the Women’s World Cup, including those worn by Matildas stars Ellie Carpenter and Alanna Kennedy, are actually medical gauze meant for injured joints.

One of the most popular headbands at the tournament, and more generally among pro athletes with long hair, is actually a pre-wrap — a stretchy mesh designed to protect the skin from chafing.

The medical headbands have become extremely fashionable in women’s sports, especially football, as the colorful tape allows players to express their individuality on the pitch.

Australia’s Ellie Carpenter has been wearing light blue pre-wrap for years and the US team is known for wearing all sorts of colors.

Some players roll it into a thin band, while others keep it thick and thick – but they all agree on one thing: it’s an effective headgear.

The medical headbands are very fashionable in women’s sports

Not only does the spongy material stay in place better than most other products, but it also absorbs sweat well.

“There’s a unique, almost strategic use of pre-wrap in women’s soccer,” said sociology professor Rachel Allison. The New York Times.

“Of course, wearing the headband can be functional in terms of keeping your hair pulled back while you’re playing the sport, but I think it’s become much more than that.”

“These are forms of individual self-expression, but they are also very important to how we market women’s sport.

“They become part of the stories we do about who these women are, not just as players, but as people in a way that helps connect with the audience.”

Team USA forward Alex Morgan is known for her pink headband, which she says she started wearing so her parents could distinguish her on the soccer field.

Morgan later chose the color to honor her mother-in-law who battled cancer – and now Morgan is even sponsored by a pre-wrap manufacturer.

“I would never play football without my pink headband,” Morgan explained in a 2012 video for Team USA.

Forward for Team USA Alex Morgan (pictured center) is known for her pink headband — which, like the one worn by her teammates (left and right), is actually designed to keep players’ skin from chafing when they need to be connected

The pre-wrap headbands are so popular these days, fans can even see them wearing them as games.

“It’s not uncommon to see other people, especially girls or young women, wearing pre-wrap when they’re in the stands watching,” says Allison.

“It’s a way for them to symbolize their fandom.”

Both Carpenter and Kennedy can be seen, wearing bright blue pre-packaged headbands, when the Matildas take on France in a blockbuster quarterfinal game on Saturday.