If you’re looking for an easy way to update your look for the new year without spending a fortune, adding new clips or barrettes to your collection of hair accessories is an easy, affordable way to do it.
These hair accessories are popping up everywhere from high school hallways to New York Fashion Week runways, paired with everything from casual workout clothes to high fashion dresses and pantsuits on women of all ages. Below are some popular ways you can wear this trend at any occasion.
When Were Barrettes First Popular?
Barrettes were last in style in the 1990’s, when hot fashion designers like Calvin Klein and popular stars like Claire Danes brought them into the mainstream. The recent resurgence of interest in retro style and fashion has brought them back into the mainstream for 2019.
Celebrities and models are wearing them on the runway and in everyday life, showing off more intricate hairstyles on social media channels for followers to try and copy. Far from being just for little girls and movie stars, barrettes and other hair clips can be the perfect accessory for a business outfit or a formal gathering if you choose the right ones and style them right. From simple metal clips that add function along with style to delicate bobby pins with jeweled embellishments, there is a clip in hair accessory for any look or occasion.
What Kind of Barrettes Can You Get?
Regardless of your personal style preferences, here are several kinds of barrettes to choose from:
Snap clip barrettes
Snap clips click into place by grabbing some hair and laying flat. These clips serve a practical function, as they can secure your hair exactly where you place it. Popular with athletes and gym enthusiasts, they offer the structure and function you may need for thick hair.
Bobby pins
Bobby pins come in beautiful colors and embellished finishes that slip easily into updos and ponytails to add a little visual highlight. These are easy to incorporate into any look and suitable for any hair type.
Small clips
Try small clips with rhinestones, letters or other added designs that draw attention from everyone you pass. You can stick with one for a simple look, or incorporate multiple clips into your hair to create a bolder statement.
Resin clips
Resin clips come in bold patterns and colors, like plaid and tortoiseshell. These are ideal if you have thick hair that needs a larger size clip to stay in place, or want to use a clip instead of a boring hair tie.
Slide clips
Side clips tuck neatly into place and use your hair along with a mechanism to keep the clip where you put it.
How to Wear Hair Barrettes
The right approach to wearing these hair accessories depends on the style you want to evoke and the other elements of your look. As you select some barrettes to bring home, try to envision what you’ll wear them with and how your hair will be styled. This will help you select clips that you’ll wear often with the items you already have.
Full 90s Revival
If you want to fully embrace the 90’s look with your hairstyle, try wearing snap clip barrettes on either side of a center part. You can pull your hair back into a simple low ponytail or leave it long and straight. This placement of the clips helps the hair sit flat, evoking the smooth and sleek vibe that was so popular in that era.
Subtle Styling
If you don’t want to make the barrettes the focus of your look, try draping your hair over them so just a hint of the clip shows.
Fun & Fancy
For a more dramatic look, choose clips with rhinestones or letters that spell out something fun or silly. Pinned across a dramatic updo or used to pull your bangs to one side, embellished hair clips are sure to stand out and gather attention no matter where you wear them.
This trend is easy to customize to your personal style, and you can easily experiment with new options to create new looks.
