Silicone is a versatile polymer used for various products, including silicone bracelets. These colorful, durable, and comfortable bracelets represent different social causes and were popularized by the Livestrong bracelets sold by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Other charities soon followed, and manufacturers offer a wide variety of colors and pre-printed messages or custom designs. Silicone bracelets have generated millions of dollars for various causes.
Silicone is a semi-inorganic polymer that is heat stable, flexible, and waterproof. Due to these qualities, silicone is used for a wide range of products, including silicone bracelets.
Silicone bracelets are inexpensive jewelry items that are colorful, durable, and comfortable to wear. They have become a fashionable fad as much for their appearance as for the messages they convey. The different colors represent different social causes, from finding a cure for a particular disease to raising environmental awareness.
Sometimes also known as rubber bracelets, they first appeared when the Lance Armstrong Foundation, founded in 1997 by world-renowned cyclist Lance Armstrong, designed and began selling them. The silicone bracelets, called Livestrong bracelets, were sold as part of a fundraising effort by the foundation to help cancer survivors like Armstrong himself. Bright yellow wristbands (so colored to match the color of the Tour de France winner’s jersey) quickly rose to great heights of popularity. Much of the popularity arose because the cancer foundation’s jewelry and programs were advertised on the widely watched Oprah Show. By February 2005, more than 32 million people wore Livestrong bracelets.
Other charities, both large and small, soon entered the silicone wristband market to publicize their own causes. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation designed pink bracelets with their slogan “Sharing the Promise.” Another group rallied support for US troops with their yellow wristbands emblazoned with “Support Our Troops” in black lettering. The AIDS Foundation and Tsunami Survivors, along with many others, have benefited from the sales generated by the items.
Several silicone jewelry manufacturers have expanded their inventory to include silicone bracelets. They can be purchased in bulk online, making them an inexpensive way for small groups, schools, churches, and organizations to generate sales while advertising their cause. Manufacturers offer a wide variety of colors, styles, and pre-printed messages, but can also produce custom messages with each group’s message emblazoned on the wristbands.
It may be too soon to tell if silicone bracelets will continue to be popular fashion accessories, but it’s fair to say that they’ve come a long way in just a few years. Millions of dollars have been tapped, simply for the little fashion accessory.
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