Abhishek Bachchan sports the headband

Abhishek Bachchan was seen sporting it over the weekend, once with mother Jaya Bachchan and the next time with screen lady love Aishwarya Rai. Nathan Bracken was seen sporting it on Sunday while running through the West Indies top order in the Champions Trophy final.

Hail, the male headband — from the Bollywood stage to the cricket field, from dark hair to golden locks. Hello, man bling — from mall by day to disc by night.

The Calcutta youth has been using this accessory for months before Abhishek started growing his hair for the shooting of Shaad Ali’s Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, reveals Tollywood’s favourite designer Agnimitra Paul.

“Abhishek Bachchan’s look carries the all-new male bling syndrome a step further, but it doesn’t go well with a stubble and a macho image,” observes Agnimitra.

The clean Bracken look is more suited for the hairstyle add-on, something the city seems quite aware of. “Boys wanting a back-brush look have been sporting headbands. Abhishek was wearing a metallic one but we have been mainly selling cotton ones, which come in various hues and stripes,” says Girish Wadhwani of Silver Bells, in Vardaan Market.

Chic chains, diamond rings, a ear stud, kada and hairbands — these are now the trademark tools of an HYT (handsome young thing), as opposed to a PYT (pretty...).

What drew a squirm till a few years back seems to be the latest in thing. As 21-year-old Shanky Sachdev puts it: “I wear accessories just to make a style statement. My accessory box contains a variety of neck chains, pendants, diamond rings, kadas and headbands. Without jumping on to the metrosexual bandwagon, one has to do something different to attract the attention of the fairer sex.”

And the woman’s verdict? “Man’s bling is cool and cute, but it should not be OTT (over the top),” smiles party hopper Sneha Jain.

It’s all part of the beauty business boom, warn sociologists. “With competition becoming cut-throat, the companies are roping in the men,” observes sociologist Bholanath Bandopadhayay of Calcutta University.