Wearing barrettes can be tricky; if you're not careful, you can end up looking like you're posing for your 4th grade class photo. Leave the pastel plastic hair clips at home and take a look at the fun and fashionable barrettes on the scene for 2011. For day, you can go with the classic tortoiseshell barrette. These accessories come in a variety of sizes; a larger one can be worn to hold a smooth low ponytail in place. The shaped, metallic barrette is very in right now. These eye-catching clips can be worn to add some sparkle to your outfit when you're wearing a neutral pantsuit during the day. Just remember to keep it simple and save the major bling for the evening; you can have plenty of fun with barrette choices when the sun goes down.
There are event-ready barrettes and clips that are encrusted with faux jewels or decorated with colorful sprays of feathers, which are especially hot this year. The red and black Feathered Hair Clip 2-Pack from Torrid (average price; $14) is youthful, but with a cool vintage feel that keeps it from seeming too trendy or precious. We also love the bounty of floral and feathery designs available from HairFlowers.net (priced from $2.99 and up).
Hair Jewelry
Hair jewelry is, as the name implies, jewelry for your hair. Hair jewelry can come in the form of headbands, combs, barrettes, or other types of hair holders. What sets it apart is that it's decidedly dressy and meant to be worn to formal events because it features more expensive embellishments, like real crystals and pearls. Hair jewelry is commonly seen on brides and bridesmaids, but lately it's showing up on celebrities at red carpet events and inspiring everyday women to make it part of their evening wardrobe. Tigerlilly is a company that specializes in bridal hair jewelry. It features some incredibly beautiful designs, including vintage and trendy styles. Their pieces are high-quality and not easy on the wallet, but if you have a wedding or other fancy event in your near future you might want to make the investment in a one-of-a-kind hair accessory.
Hair Sticks
If you like to wear your hair in a bun, hair sticks are a cute way to add some style to your "do. Hair sticks are basically chopsticks that you arrange in your bun to help hold it in place and enhance your look.
You can find plain everyday hair sticks fairly easily, but if you want to really make a fashion statement, you should have at least 1 or 2 pairs of hair sticks that lend an air of fun or glamour. Dressy Tresses' Fairy Wand Hair Sticks (average price; $29.99) are black, decoratively carved sticks with multicolored mirrored beads at the tips; an instant way to add sparkle to an otherwise run-of-the-mill twist.
