Opinion | From Kate Middleton to Selena Gomez, celebrity hair accessories are turning heads
Sparkly hair clips, gargantuan hairbands and even the humble bobby pics – hair adornment is back, but leave those scrunchies in the 80s
At some point in the 1980s, I shunned my girlie hair clips in favour of scrunchies and wide, velvet hairbands. By the early 2000s, I had graduated to a single chopstick holding up a severe bun. I persevered with the look despite the ennui of being constantly asked, “Where’s the other one?” Then, although my chopstick never did stab anyone (unfortunately), I retired all hair sticks when my baby was born. Now that hair accessories are back “in”, I’m wondering if they might be worth revisiting.
Over the years, there have been flower garland headpieces inspired for and by festival peacocking, Maison Michel’s sexy lace cat or bunny ears and crowns at Dolce & Gabbana. Last year, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, was seen wearing gargantuan hairbands instead of hats on several occasions, including the christening of Prince Louis, the centenary of the armistice and a Christmas service.
Designed by Jane Taylor, the large, crescent moon-shaped headpieces are like hairbands on steroids. They have been dubbed the Boleyn band in reference to the Tudor-era French hood seen in depictions of Anne Boleyn, the queen of England, but evoke more of a 1940s charm. Prada’s spring/summer 2019 collection is filled with oversized headbands in plain or embellished velvet and satin with a mod, 60s vibe.
It’s not that far a leap from a Boleyn band to a turban headband. The latter is a less aggressive way to effect the turban look that’s been circling fashion for more than a decade. At starting prices of HK$1,700, I might not wear one of these to the supermarket, but if an occasion called for headwear, I’d be delighted to don one instead of a hat or, God forbid, a fascinator. Would you add a veil? Erdem did, and to great effect, so I’m thinking one would be excellent for surreptitious people watching.
This past awards season confirmed a grown-up interest in sparkly hair clips. Irish actor Caitriona Balfe, star of Outlander, attended the 2019 Golden Globes wearing diamanté slides on either side of the head. It’s easy to find a bedazzled hair clip, from Gucci, Chanel and Simone Rocha to Asos, Forever 21 and The Lanes. The hard part is not looking like a teenager with wrinkles: keep everything else chic and simple.