Style Guide: The Best Butterfly Hair Clips
Looking to lean into the 90's revival but without the tackiness of a 90's revival? We've got you covered. Read on to discover which clip is the best butterfly hair clip for your wardrobe - and for your hair!
Types of Butterfly Hair Clips
Butterfly hair clips come in three different sizes: small, mini and medium. They're not as significant as other claw clips because they're used mainly for hair decoration - but that doesn't mean they don't hold your hair back. They can be made from plastic, resin, or metal materials but which one is best for you will depend on your personal style, hair type, and desired look. For example, if you have coarse hair, you may want a metal clip as they tend to hold hair more securely. If you have a very 90's or Y2K personal style, you may prefer a resin or plastic clip for authenticity. And if you're going for an over-the-top decorative look like some TikTok makeup gurus, glittery clips may be for you.
How to Wear the Traditional Butterfly Clip
When thinking about butterfly clips in the 90's, most of our minds instantly wander to smaller, plastic butterfly clips that come in tons of colors and can even be bought in bulk, much like these clips from our list that we rated the best butterfly clips overall. There are countless ways to wear butterfly clips in general, but when styling this type of clip, it's easiest to style in one of two ways:
- Traditional 90's clip-back: this hairstyle is the epitome of 90's hair. While small butterfly clips like these don't hold as much hair as a claw clip, when clipping back small sections of hair like this, they do a great job of keeping your hair out of your face. This was my go-to style for growing out my bangs, and it works great for oily hair days too!
- Decorative add-ons: the fun thing about butterfly clips is that they make it so easy to add a little color and personal style to your outfit. Whether your hair is completely down, or even if it's up in space buns, adding butterfly clips make the look much more interesting, and with little effort on your part.
How to Style Cotton Butterfly Clips
Some butterfly hair clips have paper cotton wings attached to the alloy body. These are more of a "new-wave" butterfly clip, and are meant to look more realistic than the traditional butterfly clips shown above. While these clips are still durable, the closure is not like a claw clip but more like a barrette, so they are typically meant to act as more of a hair decoration than a functional clip. For this reason, the best way to style these clips is usually as a:
- Decorative add-on: these clips don't typically do all the heavy lifting like a claw butterfly clip would, but they certainly add pizzaz. My favorite way I've seen them styled is for weddings; wavy hair with boho braids really complement the bohemian nature of cotton butterfly clips.
The Best Butterfly Hair Clips if You Want to Stand Out
With so many different types of butterfly clips and so many ways to style them, you can easily come up with looks that no one else has done before. These butterfly clips have several different color and finish options available, for example:
- Gradient
- Gradient Jelly
- Sparkle
- Matte
- Neutral
So whether you're taking the 90's into 2023 by using neutral-colored butterfly clips, or you're clipping your hair up with sparkly butterflies for Halloweekend when you're off at school, there is a unique way to wear your butterfly clips. It's also worth noting that the hairstyle you wear under your butterfly clips could change your whole look too; butterfly clips look very boho in a braid, but elegant in a half up half down look. It's all about customization.
Most Common Hairstyles to Wear with Butterfly Clips
The same way that there are lots of different types of clips, there are also lots of styles you can wear with them. Here's a list you can reference for information:
- Braids: if you like to wear your hair in one big braid or two french braids on the sides of your head, dispersing butterfly clips throughout the braids can make for a fun and colorful look. You can do a similar look with any type of cornrows as well, whether you place the clips at the top of the braid closest to your scalp or throughout the ends.
- Curly Hair: people with curly hair might like to simply clip their bangs or front pieces out of their face, but they can also play around with securing twists or braids at the front of their hair. Butterfly clips also elevate the look of a curly updo.
- Bangs: While some people like to use butterfly clips to clip their bangs back, some people like to wear them to accessorize their bangs.
- Half Up: The classic nineties look is to clip back the front pieces of your hair with butterfly clips, but the more modern version of the look is to just clip back a couple pieces. It's also very common to leave out some face-framing pieces. And yes; these styles work on short hair too!
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