Summer Hairstyles and Accessories To Try

As promised in my summer inspiration post, I’ve been working away on a piece all about hairstyles and accessories to try this season and beyond. As someone who is relatively inept at styling their own hair (a curling wand is advanced as I get), all these hair accessory trends have come as a welcome alternative to hot tools and bedhead.

For this post I’ve pulled together 4 of my favorite hair accessory categories at the moment, which are:

• BARRETTES & CLIPS
• HEADBANDS
• HAIR PINS
• SCRUNCHIES & SCARVES

These styles work great for a wide range of hair types and textures and I’ve pulled together visual inspiration for different ways to try each one. For the most part they’re super approachable and I’ve compiled a list of both investment hair accessory brands and budget-friendly options. This post was a blast to source and create graphics for and I hope these ideas might inspire you to try out something new with your ‘do too!

BARRETTES & CLIPS

Images/Items top left to right and down: Mini Circle Barrette* | Double Tortoise| Image by Sunkissed Steph & Pearl Clip | Multi-Clips Image | Large Circle Barrette* | Tro Oval Barrette | *Thoughtfully Made

Barrettes and clips are the hair accessory style I’m loving most right now. They’re definitely a throw-back to my younger days and while it’s fun to play with all the colours and textures out right now, a single circular barrette or a a set of simple clips can be just the perfect addition to a simple outfit.

TRY BARRETTES WITH:

HEADBANDS

Images/Items top left to right and down: Houndstooth Knotted Headband* | Black & Rattan Headband | Beaded Shell Hairband* | Wide Tortoise* | Narrow Tortoise* | Black Velvet| *Thoughtfully Made

Headbands take me right back to elementary school and I love it. While there are some pretty bold styles making their way around the blogosphere (this one and this one seem to be the ‘it’ bands) I’ll be opting for something a little more timeless and subdued (a shock, I know). I’ve got this slim tortoise band in my cart at Shopbop right now and I love the look of this low(ish) profile padded velvet one from ETSY as well. They add such a touch of polish to a look and bring my usual boring hairstyle to life a bit. Now it’s just a matter of avoiding the infamous headband headache!

TRY HEADBANDS WITH:

HAIR PINS

Images/Items top left to right and down: Pearl Pins (Pearl Pin Set*)| Orbital Hairpin* | Bobby Pin Illustration | Gold Trio Pin (Gold Pin Set*)| Large Gold Hairpin* | Seashell Set* | *Thoughtfully Made

For the most part bobby pins take me back to ballet recitals and awkward bang grow-outs. That said though, there are some pretty inventive ways to use bobby pins now and beyond the basics there are so many chic and elegant hair pins to explore. Luckily there are also plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to actually make them stay! This accessory category is great for folks who want to keep things simple and would rather not invest in anything too trendy.

TRY BOBBY PINS WITH:

SCRUNCHIES & SCARVES

Images/Items top left to right and down: Velvet Bow Hair Tie* | Crepe Silk Scrunchies* | Floral Ribbon (similar)| Gingham Scrunchie* | Green Bow | *Thoughtfully Made

When I first noticed that scrunchies were beginning to make a comeback I laughed out loud. Like, really!? Of course, the SATC scene with Carrie and Bergerflashed through my mind too. Then I started seeing them more and more and realized scrunchies could actually be pretty cute and tasteful in the right fabric and pattern. They’re also pretty practical and add a little bit of interest to an otherwise ordinary hair style like a top knot or low ponytail. I haven’t bought one yet, but it’s safe to say I’m firmly intrigued by the prospect!

On the other hand, I’ve always been entirely on board with hair scarves and ribbons and love how those look for spring and summer with a white tee, jeans and sandals. It’s a touch feminine and a little youthful in just the right way.

TRY SCRUNCHIES AND SCARVES WITH:

WOWZA! THAT’S WAS A LOT OF HAIR ACCESSORY ACTION BUT SO MUCH FUN!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE HAIR STYLING IDEAS?

ANY PERSONAL FAVOURITES OR ACCESSORIES YOU’RE UP FOR TRYING OUT? LET’S HERE ’EM!