Wearing a wristband with a message has been a form of making a statement for decades. In the early 70's, metal "P.O.W." and "M.I.A." wristbands were worn, engraved with the name of a soldier who was either a prisoner of war or missing in action in Vietnam. The bracelets were worn until the soldier, or his remains, were returned home.

Wearing a wristband with a message has been a form of making a statement for decades. In the early 70's, metal "P.O.W." and "M.I.A." wristbands were worn, engraved with the name of a soldier who was either a prisoner of war or missing in action in Vietnam. The bracelets were worn until the soldier, or his remains, were returned home.

Today's wristbands are very different from the wristbands of old. Most are made of a silicone, Tyvek, or vinyl now, and are a solid band made to slip over the hand without needing a fastener. They come in all colors and are very reasonably priced.

Schools and businesses sell these wristbands to raise money for various reasons such as school projects, sports teams, clubs, or simply for advertisement. Some are made in the school's colors and have the school's name embossed on it. Oftentimes a team or club name will be imprinted upon it, or the name of the business sponsoring them.

Churches have been known to order these in bulk, too, for similar reasons as the schools and businesses. They sell these to raise money for the church or for a family in need. They often have "WWJD" imprinted on their wristbands, or other messages of faith.

But most are sold just for fun, and are gaining popularity for that reason. Kids of all ages wear them, and adults, too, to show their support of a favorite team or even a charity. Wearing several at a time in various colors is a popular fashion statement, especially for the younger generation. Teens and pre-teens love to wear these with the name of their school on them, while others wear wristbands for the message that's embedded on them, whether it be a funny message or a serious one.

It's become the current fashion to wear a wristband to support a charitable foundation that is selling them to raise money for cancer research or other worthwhile causes. Best friends wear matching wristbands, while athletes may each wear one to show pride in their team. Couples will often wear identical wristbands with a special message meant just for the two of them. But most are worn for fun; boys and girls alike enjoy comparing the bands and trading favorites back and forth.

Some young entrepreneurs will wear many of them on both arms, in hopes of selling them to whomever they come across. With the many different words and phrases that are on the bands, they are sure to find someone who is looking for just the right one, or even more.

Whatever the reason for wearing them, these wristbands are the fashion statement of the day. They are fun and colorful, and inexpensive enough for everyone to be able to afford and enjoy. Giving a gift of one is sure to delight a girl or boy of any age. Or even several of them, with different messages, so that they can wear them all at once, or a different one each day!