The Best Places to Find Hair Accessories for Women
I am known for wearing bows and other fancy hair accessories. In fact, if I leave home without them, folks give me a hard time about it. Over the years, I have collected quite the large number of hats, fascinators, headbands, clips, and berets. I have so many that it takes three shelves, two boxes, and two drawers to hold them all.
Having collected so many different hair accessories over the years, you can bet I know where to find them. Some places are better than others. What follows is a guide to finding hair accessories online as well as in the real world. I'll even tell you where NOT to go!
Oh, you're welcome. Any time.
Etsy - The Best Place for Hair Accessories Online
When I want a hair accessory that is:
- Handmade
- Unique
- Unusual
- Quirky
- A specific color
- AND inexpensive
I go to Etsy.com. It is THE best place to buy hair accessories online because they're usually handmade and of high quality, and I get a good feeling from buying art (for certainly cool headbands and hats are art!) directly from artists.
Etsy is very easy to use and has excellent filtering options, plus the prices are pretty low (some people charge a lot- you just don't have to buy from them... besides, you can filter by price). I love it! As soon as you become accustomed to tweaking your keywords (e.g. getting specific by searching for "crystal hair accessories" instead of "shiny headband"), you'll be all set to go.
ModCloth - Another Great Online Resource
Mod Cloth also offers a selection of fairly priced, cute, and unique headbands, hair bows, and other hair accessories (e.g. fascinators) online.
I've purchased dresses from the site as well, and have been happy with the quality of everything I order. Buying things on Mod Cloth does not feel as lovely as buying things on Etsy, seeing as one does not have the satisfaction of knowing one is purchasing directly from the producer of a particular hair accessory, but it's still a cool site and I'm glad to give it my business.
My one warning: buying from this site might mean that you're a godforsaken hipster.
ICING - Fabulous Selection, Low Prices
I hate stepping into stores that are mostly populated by pre-teens, but ICING has the widest selection of women's hair accessories available in a brick-and-mortar chain store.
In addition to typical headband and clip fare, ICING typically offers a selection of fascinators and cocktail hats, which you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere else (and especially anywhere else for under $30).
ICING also typically offers the widest range of colors of various hair accessories, so it's great if you're looking for something to match a particular outfit or purse. You just have to leave your dignity at the door for a short time; that's all. Though if you're flamboyant enough to be wearing strange stuff on your head all the time, this shouldn't be a problem.
Forever21 - GREAT for Headbands
Whenever I step inside a Forever21, I start to break out in hives and begin spiraling into an existential crisis. Despite this, I shall occasionally venture to my local store in search of headbands, because they typically have an excellent selection, plus their prices stay relatively low.
The key to getting good hair accessories from this chain is to check back regularly, as they refresh their collections pretty frequently. If there is nothing inspiring one month, two months later you might find a treasure trove of cute, cheap headbands. The only downside is that you have to brave all the other clothing and people that Forever21 will shove your way during your exploratory missions.
H&M - Good for Cheap but Interesting Hair Accessories
The selection of hair accessories offered by H&M is generally limited; they don't have super extensive colletions in most of their stores. That said, every blue moon, H&M will produce something very unique and intriguing that will make an excellent addition to your collection.
Much like Forever21, H&M turns over its inventory pretty frequently, so you'll have to check back regularly. Your're less likely to find something worth buying at H&M than you would at Forever21, but when you do find something, it will be all the more awesome, and equally inexpensive.
Where NOT to Buy Hair Accessories
Becaues hair accessories are generally small and fragile, they don't have long lifespans, so I don't think it's all that important to spend a lot of money on them. For this reason, I strongly recommend you do not spend more than $20 for any sort of hair bow or hair accessory that is not a handmade or super high quality cocktail hat or fascinator.
Some places tend to charge WAY TOO MUCH for mass-produced or shoddy headbands and hair accessories- perhaps because they can get away with it. But don't bother spending your money on such things at:
- Anthropologie
- Nordstroms
- Macy's
- Any designer boutique
They simply charge folks more for headbands at these places than they're worth.
I hope you've found this guide to be helpful. Happy hunting!