This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Fainite Auguste. Find her on Instagram at @ceilingdancing. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
As Gen Z grows into adulthood, the further we regress into childhood. There’s been a resurgence of hair accessories like bows, hair pins, and claw clips.
What are Claw Clips?
A claw clip is a hair accessory with plastic, sometimes metal, teeth styled to the wearer’s liking. The claw clip was designed by Christian Potut, in 1986. Claw clips have gone in and out of style for the past three decades. They were particularly popular in the 2010s and have made a comeback in the 2020s.
@abigaillinnn Replying to @Sahar Easy Clawclip Ponytail Tutorial #hair #hairstyle #hairtutorial #clawclip #clawcliphairstyles #ponytail
♬ Keep Dat Clean Radio Edit By iCandy – Soap Radio. 🧼
The Significance of Hair Accessories
People have worn hair accessories for centuries, specifically the elite and upper class.In the past, hair accessories symbolized social status it also followed traditional cultural style. In ancient Egypt, women added gold and gemstone hairpins to showcase their wealth and status. The bandeau was popular in Europe from the late 1700s through the mid-1800’s. It involved wrapping ribbon, pearls, or a piece of fabric around a person’s updo. Women also wore large feathers on their heads as fashion in England. Indigenous Americans also wore feathers in their to symbolize different aspects of a person.
As a young Black girl, I remember me and my friends wearing bobbles in our hair. Bobbles are essentially hair ties with plastic balls on the ends. They come in a variety of different colors. Although they are pretty accessories, Bobbles are tight on people’s heads and often leave dents in the hair. Despite this, these were a go-to Black hairstyle for children in the 90’s and early 2000s.
@patrice.css.world Replying to @sobersfamilylocs I throw out hair bobbles when they’re like this. #kidswithlocs #locbabies #hairbobbles #blackgirlhairaccessories
♬ original sound – Patrice CSS🤎
Like many other little girls, I also wore flower and butterfly barrettes and hair clips as a child. Toward the end of the 2010s hair clips boosted in popularity. The pink Glossier hair clips were everywhere. It was intended to be used just to pin back hair while putting on makeup but people started wearing them outside.
A less loved and also forgotten hair accessories is the Bumpit. You may remember the infomercials from the 2000s and 2010s. The Bumpit gives the hair a beehive-like effect. It was the desired style. You may remember Beyoncé rocking that style of hair in the Single Ladies music video.
Different Kinds of Hair Clips
There are various types of hair clips like claw clips, barrettes, bobby pins, alligator clips, banana clips, snap clips, jaw clips, French barrettes, slide clips, and butterfly clips. Each type offers unique designs and functionalities, catering to different hairstyles. Accessories like claw, banana, and jaw clips are usually used in updos like buns. People also do half-ups and half-downs using smaller clips. There’s a casualness with claw clips.
Hyper realistic designs on claw clips have become popular. Foods like eggs, bananas, and strawberries are all over my TikTok FYP. Some of these claw clips can range anywhere from 5 to 30 dollars. This leads back to the idea of overconsumption. Ask yourself, do you really need to buy 10 different claw clips that are food-shaped?
@friendsnyc Girls just wanna have things that look like other things 🌭🥬🌶️🎏🍅 Freshly picked accessories in store & online @ FRIENDS NYC 📲⭐️🛍️ #thingsthatlooklikeotherthings #fakefood #noveltygift #clawclip #tomatogirlsummer #maximaliststyle #trinkets #girlmess
♬ Pop Star – Coco & Clair Clair
Claw Clips and Textured Thick Hair
Growing up I’ve had issues with claw clips. It often couldn’t hold all of my hair or got tangled in it. In some scenarios breaking into pieces. Unfortunately, a lot of the marketing involves White women with straight hair.
@tonirose.co the XXL is too big for my hair 🙈 which one do you need? #clawcliphack #hairtok #clawcliptutorial #clawcliphairstyles #thickhair
♬ original sound – loeeza.
Black women have figured out ways to rock the claw clip hairstyle. When Black girls and women get their hair done in box braids or twists the sometimes use claw clips to style them.
As claw clips and hair accessories continue to gain popularity I hope that Black women are included in the product designs.
@kacorporategirly Replying to @Abena how to tie up long/thick braids with a claw clip 🫶🏾 the trick is to have a STURDY claw clip, I recommend using a metal one!!! #clawclip #clawclipblackgirl #clawclipbraids #knotlessbraids
♬ IF YOU SEE THIS FOLLOW ME – Female Rap Verses
Have you ever tried claw clips? What was your experience? Which types of hair clips are your fave? Let us know!
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