Talking hair accessories with Anabel Kingsley

Marc by Marc Jacobs left, Juicy Couture right

So, while talking to her better known dad Philip ( see Tuesday’s post) we couldn’t help but love Anabel Kingsley, who has grown up surrounded by hair experts. She happily admits she over bleaches her hair and used to love sleeping over at friends houses when she was younger so she could use ANY shampoo other than her dad’s. You’ve got to love a rebel. She has inevitably gone into the hair business herself and turned out to be something of an expert on hair accessories. Finding really elegant hair pins and clips that don’t make you look like a twelve year old is tricky I’ve found, Here’s what Anabel told us…

“Pretty hair accessories are quite difficult to find and when you factor hair health into the equation, it can be a bit of a nightmare! It’s always best not to use uncovered elastic bands as these can cut into the hair shaft and cause a nasty form of breakage called ‘Trichorrhexis Nodosa’. When looked at under a microscope, the assaulted hair resembles two shaving brushes being pushed together… not attractive. Tightly attached or heavy pins can also cause traction hair loss, and sharp metal edges on clips and hair ties can make your hair snap. While not every embellishment I place in my hair is great for it, once in a while (with something harsher) is fine.You can also always rotate your hair accessories and try different styles to stop stress being put on the same area of scalp again and again.

Goody hair accessories from Boots online

For day-to-day use, I’m a big fan of Goody ‘ouchless’ elastics, and Scunci ‘no slip grip’, which are covered in fabric and come in a variety of colours.

(Amanda here…I also love the Goody spin pins (above) which are amazing at holding in a loose bun).

Caroline ponies $7, left and marble flowered bobby pins $28 at Jane Tran

American Apparel also has a great selection of 80’s style scrunchies for when the mood takes me. For something more sparkly and extravagant, I go to Cherry Chau and Butler & Wilson for clips and also Jane Tran for headbands in London.

American Apparel shiny and nylon scrunchies, both £5

Bloomingdales, Barney’s and Bergdorf in New York have amazing selections of hair accessories.  If you really want to splash out, Alexandre of Paris has beautiful clips, bows, barrettes and headbands.  They have a shop on Sloane Street or you can find them at Harrods.”

Glamourous sparkle at Butler & Wilson, headband £28, butterfly hair pin £38

Thanks Anabel. I also bought a stupidly pricey hair pin from Odile Gilbert as a treat when visiting Colette in Paris, I felt  guilty about it for months afterwards but it is the most elegant hair pin ever and extremely strong, I’ve worn it nearly every day since I bought it so in value-for-money terms, it’s been a bargain. You can buy them on line here, where some colours are reduced currently.

Other useful places to try for chic hair accessories are Fenwicks, Anthropologie and Banana Republic. I always look in Accessorize but am always disappointed. Where do you guys buy your hair pins from?

Odile Gilbert’s beautifully elegant hair pins