Bobby pins have always been known as sort of the foundation garments of beauty: meant to support and keep things in place, but not really meant to be visible to anyone else. But of course, like most everything, designers and industry insiders have decided in the last few seasons to flip the script on the hair accessory. Much like they’ve turned underwear into outerwear, boudoir fashion into street style and sneakers into evening shoes, fashion’s power players have decided it’s time for the bobby pin to come out of the shadows. The Spring 2018 shows were proof positive that this is officially the pin’s moment in the sun.
The perceptible bobby pin phenomenon was spotted on runways from New York to Paris in a variety of incarnations. J.W.Anderson and Libertine went the simple route, securing side-parted hair effortlessly at the temples for an unfussy, schoolgirl vibe. At Versace and Simone Rocha, the bobbies were bejeweled with ornate versions in gold and pearl clusters adorning models’ tresses in multiples. Erdem fastened faux bangs with bobby pins that were far from concealed and at Ports 1961, homemade-looking braids rested below groupings of conspicuous fasteners. The applications ranged from the easy to the elaborate. Maki Oh transformed the hair holders into actual accessories, interlacing them in intricate lattice-like designs on either side of center parts. The message was clear: take your pins out to play this spring.
As for whether the bobby pin hair trend will catch on with the mainstream, that remains to be seen, but we’ve already spotted a few successful renderings on the ‘gram. Hair accessorizing is tricky territory and can veer into the tacky and/or juvenile fast, but with bobby pins, the trend can be executed in a minimalist cool way or even a more detailed design without looking totally out-there. Plus, we’re on board with any low-commitment look you can achieve for less than the price of a cup of coffee. Guess we’re getting pinned this season.
