Back
in the early 80s, feathered roach clips were all the rage in my
elementary school. They were coveted prizes at the county and state
fairs. Between rides on the Himalayan and the Swinger, you and your
girlfriends might have won them by, say, tossing a ping-pong ball into
an aluminum milk jug or playing Whack-a-Mole. (Meanwhile, the dudes were
angling for framed mirrors sporting images of a Trans Am or Def Leppard.)
These feathered clips were colorful and fun and just a little bit wild.
I remember being grossed out by the name. Ew! ROACH clip?? Grody! Why
do they CALL it that?? Little did nine-year-old me know that they
weren’t referring to cockroaches; these were the kind of roaches that
would cause your mom to REALLY have a cow if they showed up in the
house.
But, feathered roach clips for your hair were entirely
legal and wholesome and pretty, then AND now. I’m delighted to see the
feathers-in-hair hair trend coming back. Today, ladies have
the option of having shampooable feathers tied in to their hair, a la
hair extensions, or going old school with a removable roach (or
“alligator”) clip, which might be a smarter option if you have, like, a
day job that requires looking all professional.
Feathers in a woman’s hair always make me think of Stevie Nicks, the
glamorous gypsy of Fleetwood Mac. She rocked the look in the late 70’s
and early 80’s, and it’s only natural that it popped up all over the
place after that. Who wouldn’t want to imitate her?
I first saw the modern feathered extensions on Bai Ling in an episode of
Lost a few years ago. SOOOO cool and funky:
This lovely young lady is sporting the trendy look we’re seeing on girls
and young-at-heart women right now. I love the way the mottled feathers
blend with the tones in her hair. So pretty!
Feeling crafty? Bocage
gives a clear how-to for making your own gorgeous
feathered hair
accessory. The mix of feathers,
chains, and two-tone lacings provides a look that Stevie would have
snapped right up:
Photo credit: Stephanie Bodine
If you’re not up for getting plumage tied in to your hair at a salon and
prefer to buy pre-made adornments, check out these fabulous options for
feathering your tresses with embellished roach clips.
This peacock one (and I admit I’m partial to peacock feathers) is
gorgeous. Blowdry your hair into wings, clip this baby in, add some big
gold hoops, and go heavy on the violet eyeshadow:
With another peacock interpretation, this clip also features some
fluffily champagne ostrich feathers and pale gold blot feathers. I think
it would both bring out blond highlights in lighter hair and pop nicely
against dark hair:
Fuschia, teal, and black are SO eighties-cool. Love this fresh little
feather clip in those rockin’ colors - it would be the perfect topper
for a black leather mini, low-slung studded belt, and cropped white tank
top: