Would you buy a £300 hair clip?

WE NOTICED THEM

double-parked in Alexa’s hair on the front row at fashion week, then all over the catwalks (Chanel, Max Mara, Simone Rocha), as well as the red carpet. The hair accessory – that schoolgirl badge of honour – is back. And we are so desperate to get our hands on the luxe versions that we’re throwing all rational sense out the window and spending as much as we would on a Ganni dress.

Why? ‘For so long the trend has just been for “nothing” hair,’ says Syd Hayes, celebrity hairstylist and creator of the eponymous Syd Pin. ‘This is a reaction to that.’ Basically a large kilt pin for your hair, the Syd Pin (from £60) was created to decorate the everyday bun after he saw a surge in demand for something ‘cool and fun’ for hair. Patti Green, jewellery buyer at Matchesfashion.com, has experienced similar: ‘It’s a new, young and playful way for the customer to embellish their hair, and one that can elevate both a day and evening look.’

Think of them as the new sunglasses or bag – that piece that elevates a simple ensemble. If you’re sporting a side-parting, they’re a great way to hold hair back behind the ears (Alexa is top inspo) or, for chignons, slide the Syd Pin through the centre and clip; it makes an ordinary hairstyle look 10 times cooler. One stipulation: ‘You do need lots of texture,’ advises Syd. ‘It’s difficult to get silky hair to stay up, so the grittier the hair, the better.’ He sprays Sam Mcknight’s Cool Girl Texture Mist, £25, from roots to ends to rough it up a little.

But would you spend so much on a hair accessory? Retailers certainly think so. Matches, which stocks the in-demand Simone Rocha faux pearl hair clips, £120, have already seen them sell out.

‘Spending £100 on a hair accessory isn’t crazy these days because it’s considered equal to any other statement accessory,’ explains Syd. ‘Plus, it’s not uncommon to spend hundreds on colour.’ He’s right. As a nation, we spend £47,000 on our hair over a lifetime so, really, what’s another £100? (Or £315, if you’re going Gucci.) The jury has spoken. *eats beans on toast for a week to justify the Balenciaga scrunchie*