Butterfly Clips Are Back From the 90s and Begging To Be Fall 2020's Favorite Hair Accessory

Getty Images/Ron Galella, Ltd./Contributor

As much as we are nostalgic for all of our favorite hair trends of decades past, we’re not crazy enough to blindly welcome everything back from the graveyard that is Claire's clearance bin. That’s why the retro hair accessories that come back around aren’t the neon pink fluffy scrunchies and rhinestone-encrusted daisy clips that lined the aisles, but the ones that feel a little more timeless like the tortoiseshell claw clip and classic banana clip. They aren’t here to haunt us, but to bring us back to humbler times before Dyson hair dryers and fancy balayage hair color. We’re talking frosted tip times here, and nothing will humble you like looking back at those pictures.

Right now, we’re peeping the comeback of butterfly clips, the 1990s hair accessory trend we once bulk-bought at the mall. They’re small, versatile, and packed with personality. While they once might have been used with a heavy hand back in the day—no hairstyle should call for ten butterfly clips—we still vow that the accessory can add just a touch of playfulness to any boring hair day, even in 2020.

Butterfly clips were typically used to pull back sections of hair from the crown of the head, which served to keep hair out of your eyes and give you about as much sass as your aunt on the day HomeGoods puts the Christmas decorations out. Nowadays, just one or two butterfly clips can be used to add both nostalgia and a pinch of fun to any day, which is something we can certainly get on board with right now. Use to pull hair into a half-up style, to accentuate the length of a braid, or to keep bangs out of your face.

So if you’re ready to give this nostalgic hair accessory trend another go—why not?—or have someone (maybe a little one?) in mind that would love to rock them, shop these modern butterfly clips that feel just right for fall and all the festive outdoor activities that come along with the season.

Urban Renewal Vintage Amber Butterfly Clip Set

These miniature butterfly clips come in a versatile amber color that is begging to jazz up your bangs or braid.

Shop It: $10; urbanoutfitters.com

Wild Fable Butterfly Claw Clip Set

Perhaps the most classic in the bunch, these are perfect for introducing to any young ones in your life that would love to bring the trend back.

Shop It: $6; target.com

Gold Metal Butterfly Hair Clips

A more modern twist on the 1990s butterfly clip, these gold barrettes look pretty as a picture when used to pull hair back into a half-up hairstyle.

Shop It: $6; amazon.com

Tortoiseshell Butterfly Hair Clip Set

Slightly larger than the typically tiny butterfly clips, these are perfect for cinching hair into a half-up ponytail, low bun, or braid.

Shop It: $12.99; amazon.com