As promised in my spring inspiration post, I’ve been working away on a piece all about hairstyles and accessories to try this season and beyond. As someone who is relatively inept at styling their own hair (a curling wand is advanced as I get), all these hair accessory trends have come as a welcome alternative to hot tools and bedhead.
For this post I’ve pulled together 4 of my favourite hair accessory categories at the moment, which are:
- BARRETTES & CLIPS
- HEADBANDS
- HAIR PINS
- SCRUNCHIES & SCARVES
These styles work great for a wide range of hair types and textures and I’ve pulled together visual inspiration for different ways to try each one. For the most part they’re super approachable and I’ve compiled a list of both investment hair accessory brands and budget-friendly options. This post was a blast to source and create graphics for and I hope these ideas might inspire you to try out something new with your ‘do too!
All images and items in photos above can be found at the end of the post.
BARRETTES & CLIPS
Images/Items top left to right and down: Mini Circle Barrette* | Double Tortoise | Image by Sunkissed Steph & Pearl Clip | Multi-Clips Image | Large Circle Barrette* | Tro Oval Barrette | *Thoughtfully Made
Barrettes and clips are the hair accessory style I’m loving most right now. They’re definitely a throw-back to my younger days and while it’s fun to play with all the colours and textures out right now, a single circular barrette or a a set of simple clips can be just the perfect addition to a simple outfit.
TRY BARRETTES WITH:
HALF-UP 
SIDE TWIST + DOUBLE BAR 
SLEEK LOW PONYTAIL 
CENTRE PART SIDE PIN
HEADBANDS
Images/Items top left to right and down: Houndstooth Knotted Headband* | Black & Rattan Headband | Beaded Shell Hairband* | Wide Tortoise* | Narrow Tortoise* | Black Velvet| *Thoughtfully Made
Headbands take me right back to elementary school and I love it. While there are some pretty bold styles making their way around the blogosphere (this one and this one seem to be the ‘it’ bands) I’ll be opting for something a little more timeless and subdued (a shock, I know). I’ve got this slim tortoise band in my cart at Shopbop right now and I love the look of this low(ish) profile padded velvet one from ETSY as well. They add such a touch of polish to a look and bring my usual boring hairstyle to life a bit. Now it’s just a matter of avoiding the infamous headband headache!
TRY HEADBANDS WITH:
MESSY LOW BUN 
LOTS OF TEXTURE & VOLUME 
LOW PONY & FUN EARRINGS 
SIDE PART & BEACHY WAVES
HAIR PINS
Images/Items top left to right and down: Pearl Pins (Pearl Pin Set*)| Orbital Hairpin* | Bobby Pin Illustration | Gold Trio Pin (Gold Pin Set*)| Large Gold Hairpin* | Seashell Set* | *Thoughtfully Made
For the most part bobby pins take me back to ballet recitals and awkward bang grow-outs. That said though, there are some pretty inventive ways to use bobby pins now and beyond the basics there are so many chic and elegant hair pins to explore. Luckily there are also plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to actually make them stay! This accessory category is great for folks who want to keep things simple and would rather not invest in anything too trendy.
TRY BOBBY PINS WITH:
AS EMBELLISHMENT ON CURLS OR A BUN 
FRONT PIECES PINNED BACK IN A TRIANGLE 
SIMPLE SIDE PIN USING A FEW AT ONCE 
A TWISTY UPDO TO ADD INTEREST
SCRUNCHIES & SCARVES
Images/Items top left to right and down: Velvet Bow Hair Tie* | Crepe Silk Scrunchies* | Floral Ribbon (similar)| Gingham Scrunchie* | Green Bow | *Thoughtfully Made
When I first noticed that scrunchies were beginning to make a comeback I laughed out loud. Like, really!? Of course, the SATC scene with Carrie and Berger flashed through my mind too. Then I started seeing them more and more and realized scrunchies could actually be pretty cute and tasteful in the right fabric and pattern. They’re also pretty practical and add a little bit of interest to an otherwise ordinary hair style like a top knot or low ponytail. I haven’t bought one yet, but it’s safe to say I’m firmly intrigued by the prospect!
On the other hand, I’ve always been entirely on board with hair scarves and ribbons and love how those look for spring and summer with a white tee, jeans and sandals. It’s a touch feminine and a little youthful in just the right way.
TRY SCRUNCHIES AND SCARVES WITH:
A CUTE LITTLE KNOT FOR SHORT HAIR 
A BOATER HAT & LOW PONY 
LOTS OF TEXTURE & SHORT TIES 
BRAIDED HALF UP WITH A RIBBON
INVESTMENT HAIR ACCESSORIES
THOUGHTFULLY PRODUCED | STARTING AT $25 USD AND OVER
Handmade in France | Starting at $25 USD | On sale via SHOPBOP
Handmade in India | Starting at $30 USD | On sale via SHOPBOP
Handmade in NYC | Starting at $98 USD | On sale via SHOPBOP
Handmade in France | Starting at $53 USD | Free shipping via Garmentory
I have a piece from this line and it’s really well-made and beautiful. It has the capacity to hold all my hair (second or third day when it’s flattened out a bit) and it hasn’t tarnished or dulled in the several years I’ve had it.
HANDMADE IN FRANCE | STARTING AT $25 USD | Shop via Dreslyn
BUDGET-FRIENDLY OPTIONS
SEVERAL OF THESE ARE THOUGHTFULLY MADE | STARTING UNDER $25 USD
Imported | Starting at $11.90 USD | Free INTL Shipping over $70 USD
ETSY MAKERS
Handmade in Vancouver, BC. | Starting at $25 CAD
Handmade in Georgia | Starting at $12.40 CAD
Handmade in OHIO | Starting at $10 CAD
MANY MORE INVESTMENT & BUDGET OPTIONS TO EXPLORE AT:
J.CREW | FREE PEOPLE | URBAN OUTFITTERS | SHOPBOP | ANTHROPOLOGIE | ASOS | NET-A-PORTER
WOWZA! THAT’S WAS A LOT OF HAIR ACCESSORY ACTION BUT SO MUCH FUN!
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE HAIR STYLING IDEAS?
ANY PERSONAL FAVOURITES OR ACCESSORIES YOU’RE UP FOR TRYING OUT? Let’s here ’em!
OPENING IMAGE SOURCES
Left graphic from top to bottom: Tortoise Clip Set | Pearl Barrette* | Gold Circle Clip | Scarf Ponytail Photo (Similar scarf here) | Bobby Pin Styling Photo | Gold Bobby Pins* | *Thoughtfully made
Right graphic from left to right: Gold Bobby Pins* | Pearl Barrette Photo (similar barrettes here) | Tortoise Circle Barrette | Silver hair pin trio | Pearl Bobby Pins | Gold Bauble Hair Tie | *Thoughtfully made
WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!
I’ll be back next week with a new designer intro, a product review and lots of spring style fun!
This post contains affiliate links. When you shop via the links above I may make commission on a sale at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Style Bee this way! All opinions are always my own.
These are such great ideas to get out of my comfort zone. I overthink new hair-styles so much, I never manage to leave the house with anything other than a pony-tail. But a scrunchy would be an easy way to step that up!
Thank you for the inspiration.
xxx
Isabel
https://isabelstories.com/
Thank you for checking out the post Isabel! I’m not adventurous with my hair either but I’ve been trying a few of these lately and it’s been so fun!
I have thick curly/wavy hair so I almost always wear mine half up/half down to avoid having hair in my face. I usually part it in the middle/just off center and do twin partial French braids that then gather in the back, where they’re clipped together with a barrette. My absolute favorite one is by pluie and it’s a silver antler. I wear it almost every day, which is good cause it was an investment!: http://pluiehair.com/collections/barrette/products/antler.
I’m really curious about trying out some smaller clips though, so thanks for these links!
Your hair sounds gorgeous Eva and your styling technique is so lovely too! Thanks for sharing your favourite barrette, those are so special! xo
Any tips on how to get barrettes and clips to stay in straight hair? Mine always slide out!
I’d maybe try barrettes that have a spring closure or clips with alligator teeth for better hold. Then I’d maybe use some hold spray to give your hair some texture to help the clip stay put and not slide so easy. Hope that helps! xo
This was such a fun post! I love, love, love the look of scarves tied around a pony tail. I might have to give that a try!
Thanks Sarah! I love that one too! So simple but impactful. Have a great weekend! xo
I’m a bit hairstyle challenged, so I love accessories that make me look like I know what I’m doing! My favorite is the skinny scarf worn as a headband (as it looks a little less school-girlish). I love the barrettes and the hairstyles that you have suggested and will try them out! Nipa
You and me both Nipa 😛 Love the idea of a slim scarf as a headband! Thanks for reading and have a great weekend. xo
I love the barrettes and clips. I even took your suggestion from an earlier post and ordered a couple from Belmto. As for headbands, I have always wanted to wear them regardless of the “in” or “out” status. As a hat lover, a headband becomes a nice stand-in when a hat would be overkill. However, I can’t avoid the headache. Any tips from you or fellow readers would be most appreciated.
Great post, Lee. (per usual 🙂 )
Thanks Cathy! Oh that’s awesome, Belmto has such a good selection. I’ve got a few in a cart right now 😛 I think you have a great point about headbands being a good stand-in for hats! Perfect for when you need something to polish off an outfit but don’t want it to take over.
I’ll be sure to share any headache escaping insights if I discover some! Enjoy your weekend. xo