22 thoughts on “SNARK WEEK: The Great Bobby Pin Shortage of the 1990s-2010s

  1. LOL at A Little Chaos. I saw that on TV recently and was ranting at the costumes. WHAT IS GOING ON with Kate Winslet’s bodice silhouette? Did they only have a Victorian corset and decided ‘eh, good enough’? Or is it in her contract not to flatten those bountiful bosoms?

    Somewhat on topic: It always bugs me when people (especially hairstylists!) don’t know the difference between hairpins and bobbypins. U-shaped hairpins are way more useful for keeping buns and braids secure, but most people either don’t know how to use them (jam them straight in with no twist), or just try to jam 1 million bobbypins in and hope for the best. My friend ran afoul of one of the aforementioned ignorant hairstylists when preparing for her wedding; her test updo looked like a hedgehog. Historical costumers know the diff of course, coz we know where the ‘bob’ in ‘bobbypin’ originated… ;)

    (I realize the post is totally silly, this wasn’t meant as a slam on it at all, just a tangential rant)

      1. I admit, I very much suck at using hairpins (the U shaped kind) — bobby pins are the only thing I use, so I’m partial!

      2. I find it extraordinary that hairpins are considered some big secret! Reading that other blog post, I’m really surprised.

        As a ballet dancer, I used hairpins every day, and only used bobby pins for securing headdresses. Who knew they were considered vintage and no longer around! Bobby pins are useless things.

      3. I’m so embarrassed and mindblown right now. Hairpins are NOT bobby pins?? Damn. First I was confused about ‘Kirby grips’, since I’m English and I’ve never used that name, because I would say… “hairpins”!! And now… Now I know, I’ve been wrong in so many ways.

        Maybe this is why I cut my hair short four years ago; I couldn’t take the uncertainty. Thank goodness I rolled up on this post before further shaming myself–

        Wait! No, I would say “hair-grips” …Am I still bad?

  2. It has spread to reenactordom. I see so many great gowns with long windswept tresses on grown-a$$ women. If you are over 16, Put. Your. Hair. Up.

  3. My parents hated watching Poldark with me. I interpret 18th century for a living and spent half my time screaming “PUT ON A CAP, HUSSY” and “You’re worried about her CLOAK? She’s NAKED. Put on a gown you HOOR.” (Admittedly I cheat on my hair myself, but as the only woman who’d be in the site I work, or within a hundred miles of it, would be Metis I can get away with braids.) I mean, if my hair isn’t at least braided back I can’t even deal. It gets in EVERYTHING. And everything gets in it. My cap is filthy when I wear it from the smoke and the leaves and foraging for kindling. If it weren’t on that crap that’s on IT would be in my hair! The big curly Christine-in-Phantom-of-the-Opera hair would have mice living in it! You don’t even need pins if you’re on the frontier, some ties will do. Fold it up and put it away!

  4. Lol. ROTFLI. I supposed Marie Antoinette boycotted the band and used Kirby clips on all their actresses. Let them eat…

    PS do you take credit cards for T-shirt?

  5. So me being a weird, uptight, reenactor means that I have researched many historical hairstyles and have been known to use hair bodkins, wool thread, and ribbons to create the proper hair looks. Perhaps that hairstyles need to review Youtube for the wonderful series of videos that I use as inspiration.

  6. You have no idea how many times I say some version of, “Yes, she’s brave and strong and willful and wonderful, but how on earth can she see/fight/ride or COOK ON AN OPEN FIRE with all that hair hanging down??” Good lord, people. Were none of you ever a Girl Scout? Pin that mess back. Safety first.

  7. I just watched ‘Cold Mountain’ and there was a scene where Nicole Kidman had a long curl hanging right in the middle of her forehead for, like, ever. She just peered around it as though it was a deformity she had learned to live with. It’s like she didn’t even know she could use her hand to sweep it out of her eye.

  8. When I had long hair, I could knot my hair into a bun without any pins, which I did regularly to Keep. It. Out. Of. My. Face!

  9. By 1998, the shortage had spread to the UK, evidenced by the long, curly wigs worn in Wuthering Heights:

    I noticed that in the 1970s version of “POLDARK”, the hairstylist resorted to thick curly wigs for Angharad Rees, Jill Townsend and Judy Geeson. Every time I watch my copy of the 70s series, I get annoyed.

  10. I’m finally getting around to watching Pan Am, and Anabelle Wallis also suffers a lack of hairpins in that series which mysteriously doesn’t extend to the rest of the female cast who either have stylishly short hair or have it pinned up.

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