Bows, headbands and hairclips: this year's hair trends are rooted in nostalgia

There is a certain comfort in nostalgia: while it seems the world is burning around us at times, fashion is encouraging us to look to the past for a certain sense of stability.

Distinct hair accessories like hairbands, bows and clips have emerged as the most dominating style trend this season, and it’s of no coincidence that each design is rooted in femininity and the fact that the definition of what it means to be a woman is becoming more fluid. If 2018 was the ‘year of the woman’, then this year represents hope thereafter – and yes, hope can come in the form of a hairclip.

So, let’s examine the evidence: Ashley Williams showcased show-stopping hair pins, emblazoned with everything from ‘YES’, ‘Paranoia’, Paradise’ and ‘Sorry’ in embellishment, while Irish designer Simone Rocha has adopted a more romantic approach with pearl slides and Versace did what Versace does best in statement-making gold. Both were strokes of genius, in its primary goals as a fashion accessory and secondarily in its symbolism.

Similarly, Kate Middleton’s taste in clothing has always remained more aligned with the past, preferring the modest hemlines and covered shoulders as royal dress code dictates, and her role as Britain’s future queen consort means that she isn’t afforded the same luxury of experimentation as her sister-in-law Meghan Markle; but it doesn’t mean she can’t trial new trends above the shoulders.

She spent the second half of last year championing hair accessories in all its forms, first with black velvet bows tied neatly around a low ponytail, first, to complement a burgundy Paula Ka skirt suit and then, the finishing touch to a tweed coat dress by Catherine Walker. And the winter months have been about shunning traditional fascinators and hats, embracing textured headbands.

On Christmas Day, she was pictured in a burgundy velvet headband by Jane Taylor, and a month earlier, had worn a cobalt blue with bow detail to Sunday church service at Sandringham. She first wore the style at son Prince Louis’ christening last July, with a custom-made ivory piece by Taylor.

As we know, what Kate wears, sells – so it’s a more thoughtful choice to select accessible accessories than exclusively high end looks.

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