Fashion: Come join our band

Now the dust is settling on Sarah Palin's glasses and Michelle Obama's endless parade of cute cardigans, there is but one fashion trend that came out of last month's American election still worthy of your consideration: the Alice band, as resurrected by Hillary Clinton.

Alice bands, particularly of the braided variety Mrs Clinton was seen sporting, are known to most as an essential item in the standard-issue Sloane uniform circa 1985. And that, perhaps surprisingly, is no bad thing, since the Sloaney look has been quietly insinuating itself back into our lives of late (witness, too, the return of old-school monograms and double-breasted blazers).

But if the thought of this particular Kings Road revival fills you with horror, rest assured that there are plenty of options on offer this season to suit all styles. Designers such as Marc Jacobs and Burberry are offering sleek, modern takes on the head band, as seen on indie actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who always manages to make borderline-mumsy styles look effortlessly cool. Similarly stylish is Roisin Murphy, the former Moloko singer, who has earned her sartorial stripes once again with a black band topped off with a few sculptural blooms.

Meanwhile, young and casual LA types such as Mischa Barton and Nicole Richie are still wearing summer's stretch headbands low across the forehead, opting for crystal and metallic versions after dark.

The key to keeping this look 2008 not 1988 rests in your hairstyle: under-25s can work flowing locks , but keep it pinned up and contemporary if you are old enough to remember the Alice band's last heyday. That way you will avoid people assuming that you've simply worn one for the past 20 years. Even Hillary gave hers a rest.