I decided to grow my grey hair out a couple of years ago, but a couple of months ago, I decided to get my hair down past my shoulders, a place it hasn’t been in a very, very long time (I’m definitely a short bob kind of girl). One of the reasons I tend to keep it short is that I never really liked wearing my hair up, thanks to this belief that it didn’t look good on me. Well, eff that. 

I did some searching and asked Instagram for help, and here are some of the hair accessories I purchased to make this whole hair growing process a little easier and a lot more stylish.

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Headbands 

I know that the larger headbands, with the pearls or huge knots (aka turban headbands), are very stylish right now, but I just feel like they’re a little too much for me (I call myself an Anne Boleyn Wannabe – ha). I did discover these leather headbands at Anthropologie, which I’m liking a lot. They’re very classy, but still fun, and the fact that my teenage daughter stole them seems like a good sign.

I do love the stretchy headbands, but for some reason, the way my head is shaped, they don’t stay on very well. This has been a lifelong issue, with little resolution. I can wear them for a short amount of time – like going out to dinner or on a Zoom call – but they’re not an all-day choice for me.

Related: 6 of the best YouTube hair tutorials that you can actually do

Claw Clips 

Admittedly, I had a bit of a “really, are we wearing these again” moment, but when I put one on, I felt a sense of relief. They really are handy, and can look very stylish depending on how you wear them. (I do a little french twist and then clip my hair up). You’ll find no shortage of these wherever you go, but I have to say the ones I got at Free People were a little pricey but very solid.

For smaller claw clips, I’ve been doing a half up, half down situation, and playing around with colors and patterns. I’m grateful to an Instagram follower who introduced me to Chunks. I bought the black-checkered claw clip and have been wearing it a lot!

Barrettes and Bobby Pins

A fun little trick is to do a simple twist or braid at the front or even the sides of your hair and use bobby pins or clips to hold it back. This look is especially handy if you’re doing a bang grow-out along with the rest of your hair.

I’m a new fan of El & Gray Design, a lovely small business that was shared with us by an Instagram follower. Their clips, like these petal printed barrettes, are like mini works of art, and I’ve already gotten several compliments when I’ve worn them. (I’m wearing them in the very top photo!). Chunks also has some super fun, bright-colored bobby pins that I’ve been wearing as well.

Related: 10 cool hair braiding tutorials on YouTube

Scrunchies

I have a weird thing with scrunchies (is it because I worn the heck out of them the first time around?) that they just don’t feel very put together for me. It’s like what I grab in a pinch to get my hair out of my face. But I’m into the scrunchies that also have the bows or scarfs attached, because they just feel a little more purposeful as a stylish hair accessory versus desperation grab.

This beaded scrunchie set is my go-to when I’m dying to wear a ponytail but want to still feel put together.