Sugar and Spice Girls Get Wrapped Up in Ribbons and Bows

When mom wants to tame her little girl’s unruly hair and add flair to an outfit, she’ll often reach for a hair accessory.

Nothing puts an instant smile on a little girl’s face like a pretty bow or a colorful barrette, says Gloria Cipri-Kemer, owner of Kiddy Kastle children’s hair salon in Cypress.

“Little girls love hair accessories,” agrees hairstylist Cookie Aragon at Hair Bears in Tustin. “They will often pull their mothers over to see the bows and scrunchies after they’ve had a haircut.”

Hair accessories come in a wide variety of bows, headbands, ponytail holders and scrunchies (elastic ponytail holders covered with fabric), to fit just about any outfit or occasion.

“You can find funky accessories great for casual wear to more conservative and dressy lace and ribbon bows for formal events,” says Cheryl Knudsen, salesperson at the Red Balloon Ltd. in Fashion Island Newport Beach.

Today’s accessories are made from a various materials, so it’s easy to find bows and scrunchies to match clothing. “Some bows are even constructed of the same material as dresses,” says Cipri-Kemer, who makes most of the hair items sold in her shop.

At Hair Bears, there are scrunchies from Italy. These come in turquoise and white ribbon with silver beads and black and white ribbon with gold beads ($15). There are also regular scrunchies in a rainbow of colors ($2).

Many stores also have ponytail holders with decorations such as plastic mermaids, fish and fruit. “These ponytail holders are more sporty and come in colors such as bright pinks, blues and turquoise,” says Cipri-Kemer, who sells ponytail holders for $2 at Kiddy Kastle. They also have a popular troll doll barrette for $7.

For dressing up, you can find tailored ones and more fluffy, bouffant styles. “The bigger the bow, the better,” says Knudsen, who notes that grosgrain, satin and French lace ($6-$16) are popular right now.

One very popular item at Kiddy Kastle that Cipri-Kemer designed is the Baby’s First Bow ($2). “This bow is very lightweight and clamps on to just 10 small hairs,” she says. “Although it holds very well, the bow can also be easily removed by the baby and won’t pull out any hairs.”

Parents are often surprised at just how many things can be done with hair accessories.

“Not only are barrettes and hair scrunchies great for pulling hair away from the face and eyes, they can be used to create a variety of different hairstyles and looks,” Aragon says.

“Do a French braid in your little girl’s hair and then secure it with a barrette, or place a bow on the top of her head or to the side. You can even pile all of her hair on top and fasten it with an accessory,” she says.

Look to see that the accessory is made of quality materials, Cipri-Kemer says. “You don’t want paper ribbon, especially for everyday bows, because the fabric should be washable. Make sure that the clip functions easily and doesn’t have any rough edges that could snag and tear out hair.”

And most importantly, stick to accessories that work best for the child’s hair type. “Even though the bow may be pretty, don’t try to put a huge French clip on a small amount of hair,” Aragon says. “The clip will just end up sliding off and pulling out hair when it does. For fine hair, you want flat, tight plastic clip bows, because they don’t slide as much as metal ones. Also look for lightweight small scrunchies.”

For thick hair, use a large French clip or scrunchy that has a lot of heavy duty elastic, Aragon says. “Never try to force a lot of hair into a small bow or scrunchy because you will just end up breaking the accessory,” she says.

If you prefer a smaller bow, pull the child’s hair back with elastic and then place the bow on top, Cipri-Kemer says.