Well-groomed hair and a fashionable hairstyle are a way to achieve comfort, self-confidence, beauty and individuality. As long as there have been people and hair, different types of hairpins have been used to decorate them. Their centuries-old history includes many styles. We will talk about the appearance of these accessories in this article.

What are hairpins?

The main function of such accessories is to decorate the hair and keep the hairstyle in the right position. They performed it from the moment of the birth of the first ancient cultures all over the world, decorating the heads of rulers and the first persons of states — both women and men.

The oldest types of hairpins are rims, dried crabs and threads strung with stones and shells, as well as laurel and flower wreaths. They became the prototypes of modern hoops. In ancient Egypt, ethnic hair ornaments for the nobility were created from alabaster, ceramics or jasper.

In Europe during the Middle Ages, like rings and bracelets, hairpins for long hair were made by jewelers from pure gold or silver.

Today it is difficult to imagine a round bandage that holds the hair on the back of the head without elasticity. It was like that until rubber and soft materials were invented.

Men and women of Mesopotamia wore ethnic headbands to securely hold their hair, preventing it from falling on their faces.

The first evidence of the use of a decorative pin is a carved image of Venus. Women in all corners of the globe loved and loved to style their hair, often creating exquisite hairstyles. Pins were made of metal, ivory or bronze. Sometimes they were also made of wood.

In the early 1800s, it became fashionable to copy the ancient Greek style of wearing headbands. In Europe during the Renaissance, court ladies and princesses wore metal ribbons as crowns, which were later made into tiaras and diadems.

Pins in the form of hair ribbons

Despite the fact that bows and ribbons are considered accessories for little girls, at first they were worn exclusively by men. In the 17-18 centuries in Europe and America they tied the tails of men’s wigs. This is especially noticeable in films about the times of colonial America.

Only at the beginning of the 20th century, the New Zealander Ernest John William Godward invented the now well-known invisible devices. To this day, they are made of simple materials — a special wire that bends in a shape resembling a U-shaped leaf. One part of the hairpin is folded, which allows it to stay on the hair.

Types of hair pins made of beads

Decorative beads are as popular as ethnic studs. This is a creative method of decorating braids and dreadlocks, based on an ancient African tradition. Beads perfectly fit into modern trends, being one of the most popular ways to decorate hair. They not only fit into the fashionable boho style, but can also decorate any hairstyle — both female and male.

Ethnic long oriental hairpins with a necklace or ornament hanging from them appeared in ancient Rome.

In 17th century Japan, the common name for hairpins for women was «kanzashi».

They served as a means of maintaining neatness and testified to a high social status.

Women in the Victorian era were not allowed to show their hair down. They wore lush wigs and decorated them with various artificial hair pins with pearls and natural stones.

Types of decorative hairpins for evening and wedding hairstyles

Decorative crests appeared in the Stone Age. They were used in many cultures to protect hair, keep it in any shape and as a fastener for small hats (in the 1950s).

The first type of modern hairpin is an ordinary hair clip. It was invented by Louis Marcus, a cosmetics manufacturer from San Francisco, after the First World War, when the bob haircut was gaining more and more popularity. In 1920, clamps gained worldwide popularity. At first, Louis sold two handmade pins for about 35 cents each. Marcus wanted to name this invention after himself, but in the end the «bobby pin» was named after the «bob-carre» hairstyle. Louis said it would be better that way because hairpins are meant to keep hair under control.

Many years have passed since the world first saw the types of modernized hairpins (photo), which make life easier and save time for many women. In addition to classic versions, models of various colors, sizes, and shapes are produced.

During the 20th century, many types of hairpins with well-known names were invented.

English Barrette automatics were invented by Marne Bjornson in 1972.

The collection of hairpins of various types from the French brand Alexandre de Paris was developed by the famous hairdresser Louis Alexander Raimon. He was a great artist. He worked with famous film and show business stars, making them hairstyles that captivated the whole world. He also collaborated with famous designers such as Chanel and Givenchy. In 1970, he created a luxurious collection that featured all kinds of hairpins, but predominated in handmade hairpins and combs with precious stones, crystals and pearls.

Ever since American designer Alexander Wang presented his Fall/Winter 2018 collection, the world remembered pins and fell in love with them again. In his collection, models pierced their hair with large silver crabs. Later, each of the designers went on a nostalgic trip, presenting their interpretation of the hot trend. Versace presented a photo of golden hairpins in its spring collection, and Gucci developed the famous polymer buckle, which became a hit among foreign bloggers.

2019 is also considered the year of maximalism when it comes to self-expression with the help of hairstyles. Bows, braids, colorful pins and clips are welcome and suitable not only for little girls. To be inspired, it is enough to watch a few episodes of the series «Friends». Actress Phoebe Boof knows how to wear them effectively, despite the fact that she is 30 years old.

What are the most popular hairpins called?

• crabs used for styling long hair and removing it from the face while taking a shower or playing sports. Hairpins with more frequent teeth are suitable for thin hair. Mini-crabs — for dividing the strands and pinning the bangs. application: comb the hair back into a tail and gather along the entire length.
• combs inserted into the hair to hold it in place. Using: help to create long hairstyles or get rid of bangs during hair growth.
• Thin metal pins, bent at one end and open at the other, they are produced in different sizes and colors. application: Inconspicuous, perfectly holds knots and chignons.
• round comb — the average between the comb and the hoop. Helps to remove hair from the face. Using: Comb the hair back, put the comb on the head and fasten the clasp.
• Hairpin-automatic allows you to style your hair halfway down or remove bangs from your face. application: collect and pin hair of any length.
• Hair clip — a metal pin that locks in the closed state. Sits beautifully, evenly and closer to the head, so they hold more securely, so they are suitable for sports and housework. Using: collects in a tail or knot and fixes hair of any length.
• sticks they are used one by one or in pairs instead of hairpins to secure a bundle, a knot or a high hairstyle. application: Collect the hair, insert it into a knot so as not to damage the decoration and not pull out the hair.
• banana — a curved hair clip that opens and locks at one end. Appeared in the early 1980s. Using: for high hairstyles, you need to tuck the hair into the hole and secure it with a clip from both ends.
• twister allows you to neatly arrange unruly strands in a few seconds. application: for creating elegant business and evening hairstyles.
• Heagami — a Japanese pin consisting of two metal plates covered with dense fabric. Using: twisted into a figure eight, pretzel or ring.
• Donat — a round rubber band that allows owners of thin hair to make a voluminous knot or bundle. application: The ends of the tail are twisted onto it, which are then tightly wrapped and fixed with hairpins.

Classic and designer hair accessories are presented in a large assortment in the Silvers online store. Choose, order with delivery across Ukraine — you will be able to create original styling and hairstyles of any complexity yourself.