Hair accessories and jewellery: let's talk about the glam mane
7.40am, the morning marathon. You're looking for a hairpin in the basket while the coffee brews, you grab a gold headband lying on the chest of drawers, you twist a bun in thirty seconds — and then your seven-year-old daughter delivers her verdict: “You look like a princess going to the office!” You laugh. Except she's right: a well-placed hair clip changes an entire hairstyle!
Good news: hair accessories are back in force this season. Pearl headbands, jewelled clips, floral combs, knotted scarves: it's a whole family of accessories, with its classics and its more statement pieces. The trick is choosing the ones that last the day without taking you back to your 1994 schoolbag!
Why it's back (and what it really changes)
A well-placed accessory is first and foremost about silhouette. On a loose bun, a gold clip shifts the eye to the upper face and redraws the look; on loose hair, a wide headband structures the hairstyle with a single line. We call it accessorising, and that's exactly it: two seconds of effort, a crisp result.
It's also — above all! — a question of time. A hair clip snaps into place in ten seconds, where a blow-dry demands twenty. When you're chasing everyone in the morning, that detail matters more than you'd think.
The way it sits does the rest. An accessory that's too heavy breaks the line and pulls on a few strands; a flat piece disappears — and sometimes that's exactly what you want from it! Wear it for ten minutes, get back to your life, and you'll soon know.
Headbands: soft, beaded, satin
The headband remains the basic of the hair wardrobe. Soft fabric embroidered with gold sequins for dinner, satin printed with fine chains for lunch, a wide electric-purple sequin headband for a proper party: it's up to you to calibrate the intensity for the occasion.
Two criteria matter more than style, in truth. Material, first: a fine jersey slips far less than smooth satin on straight hair. Elasticity, second: a headband that presses behind the ears always ends up at the back of the drawer, and no amount of gold can save it.
On materials: organic cotton, linen or reclaimed silk age better than a stiff polyester that pills after three wears. A headband kept for five years beats three at £4 that fall apart one after another — and the planet won't mind either!
Clips, hair slides and combs: the detail that lasts
Some contemporary jewellery brands offer jewelled headbands where gold chains, dark pearls and set feathers coexist beautifully; more accessible shops offer close versions, renewed with each collection. A floral comb tucked into a loose bun has the same effect as a big headband, only subtler, and two fine chains placed over the forehead and fixed with crocodile clips give a glam, light headband — my shortcut on meeting days!
A detail that saves the day in use: clips and combs in recycled brass or acetate — a cellulose-based material, not petro-plastic — hold better and can be repaired. A dot of glue, and it's good for another six months!
Flowers, feathers, pearls: dose without overloading
Powdery flowers, pearly beads, feathered clips: the boho-chic register is everywhere in shop windows. The trap isn't the piece itself, it's accumulation. If you're already wearing statement earrings, keep the hair simple — it's the basic rule of layering, and it applies to your head too!
The rule I follow: one strong accessory at a time. A rosebud on the side of a bun with fine hoops, and the balance is there. Two flowers plus a shiny headband, and the eye no longer knows where to land — hello, overload!
Scarves and head wraps, the all-rounder
The scarf tied bandana-style remains the simplest gesture to adopt. In silk or cotton square, it also keeps roots protected from wind and cold, which matters from late September — a two-in-one accessory, we'll take it!
Very fine or layered hair? A gold-tone metal Alice band, finer than a fabric headband, avoids the “squashed head” effect and lets a few strands escape. It's effortless boho chic, the kind that requires no particular skill!
The ten-minute test. Put your accessory on, then get back to what you were doing. If it presses, slips or makes you reposition it three times, it'll end up at the back of the drawer — better to know straight away. Go for bases lined with velvet, which grip the hair better and hold on a smooth bun, even when it's come loose!
Budget
The range is wide, and that's a good thing! Expect around £4 to £12 for a simple fabric headband from a fashion chain, £18 to £50 for a beaded or embroidered piece from a contemporary jewellery brand, and more still if it's made in a small batch. A jewelled comb or clip sits more around £12 to £45 depending on the finish; a printed cotton square between £12 and £20, the same in silk between £25 and £60, and a fine gold-tone metal Alice band around £7 to £20.
What really moves the price: material, finish, whether it's locally made, the city and the point of sale — fashion chain, department store, costume jewellery shop, online designer or market. Second-hand remains the best bargain for a good-quality silk square; you sometimes find pieces for a tenth of their original value.
And weigh the piece before you fall for it: an accessory that's too heavy pulls on a few strands and you'll take it off before the end of the meal — we've all done it!
What we take away
My actionable advice: start with a neutral accessory, fine gold or satin black, that will go with almost all your outfits. Then add a statement piece — flower, feather or pearls — for days when you want theatre. Put it on, look at yourself for three seconds, and go!
And if you only remember one thing from all this: one strong accessory, one gesture, and your mane goes from vague to confident in less than a minute. No need for more to look like you thought about it — good find!
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