At the moment, doing my hair basically consists of washing-and-going, thanks to a low-maintenance bob (shout out to Ellie at Myla and Davis who cut said low-maintenance bob following a scarring high-maintenance bob experience elsewhere that made me look like the little drummer boy).
But it was not always so. In the time before, there were the clips. These were those clips.
1. The Little balls of Feather
When I was 10, I wore a pair of these symmetrically at my temples - either with my hair down (and these were pre-straightener days) or with bunches, or even plaits - inspired by Hit Me Baby Britney, who was in the charts at the time. Sadly, I didn’t share Britney’s dancer physique, and I was too young for mascara, so this was a bit of a shit show on me.
2. The Comb Hairband
On the first day of secondary school, I met a girl wearing one of these, and I thought she looked the absolute nuts. I begged my mum to take me shopping for one that weekend, and then wore it nonstop, although it left a weird kink in my hair and hurt a bit. The girl turned out to be an utter prick, though.
3. The Spirals
I wore these to a disco when I was 12 and it felt pretty fantastic. They took actual hours to put into my long mousey hair, but what else does a 12-year-old have going on, amirite? In my mind this was pure Hollywood glamour – or at least Hollywood glamour as I understood it then, which basically meant red-carpet S Club 7.
4. The Butterfly Clips
So CHIC. Tiny little butterflies in pastel colours – mine were frosted – that you could use to draw your hair back into little sections just so. Best worn with juicy tubes, because what isn’t? Sarah Michelle Gellar and Melissa Joan Hart both nailed this look, as well as making me wish that my middle name was cooler (it’s Penelope).
5. The Chopsticks
Nothing says I’m not a girl, not yet a woman, like, um wearing chopsticks in your hair. Being 15 is really hard, though, so I guess whatever gets you through it is cool, and the hair sticks made me feel kind of powerful.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.