A hairpin is a double-ended hair pin that flows through the hair with the prongs open and then the flexible teeth close over the hair to hold it in place. A bobby pin is sometimes called a grip or kirby pin. Hairpins became popular in 1920 to contain the new bob hairstyles.
Hairpins are still used by many women today for all types of hairstyles, such as sandwiches, up-dos and twists. Longer versions of the hairpin usually to larger sections of hair. Clothespins are flat and can be inserted into a hairstyle from all angles to support the style and hold the hair. The truly unique thing about bobby pins is their ability to look almost invisible in many hairstyles. The bobby pin is available in black, brown, bronze, blonde and gray to go with all hair colors.
Like clothespins, decorated bobby pins are sometimes used to get noticed in the hair. A decorated bobby pin can have beads or other details on it and is usually brought to pull back in front of sections of hair, while looking more decorative than a plain bobby pin. It is a good idea to always keep some simple or decorative clothespins in your bag, along with an elastic hair, in case you need a quick haircut on the go.
Hairpins are very inexpensive and often don’t last very long, as once the wire teeth get pushed too far apart, they have too large a grip on the hair to hold it in place. A bobby pin is made of wire and has a ring on one end and two prongs on the other. An uneven crest is on the top of the hairpin in its center and the crest helps keep the hairpin from sliding off your hands too easily when trying to slide around pieces of hair.
Hairpins are often sold in cardboard packs. Some packages can only hold a few dozen bobby pins, while others can hold a hundred clothespins. Supermarkets, drug stores and dollar stores usually have at least the small, plain original version of the bobby pin.
