While offering practical ease, U-pins can also be the catalyst for more idiosyncratic styles, which can run the gamut from classically Gallic to ’70s Victoriana to contemporary avant-garde. The kind of U-shaped pin you choose may dictate your approach. Recently, upon visiting designer Judi Rosen’s shop (home of the cult-favorite denim) in New York City’s Nolita neighborhood, I happened upon an assortment of bold and bright U-shaped pins from NYC brand Mae Mae, designed by jewelry-maker Chloe Bernbach. With their graphic wiggled shape and unique bright colors and textures (from glassy neon green to glittery gold to pearlescent blue) they looked like they belonged in the MoMA Design Store. “I wanted them to be luxurious, but also punk,” explains Bernbach of conceiving a modern, edgy interpretation of the antique hair pins she’d find at flea markets. “The pins can show a fantastic pop of color or a slightly more subtle sparkle depending on your mood.”
But just as they are visually delightful, they are thick and sturdy, designed with wavy lines to help lock styles into place, and come in a variety of sizes to suit all hair types. “I wanted them to be versatile, so you could simply sweep up your hair into an effortless French twist or bun, or you can use multiple pins to make your hair into a more sculptural work of art,” explains Bernbach. If your style skews a bit minimalist, consider traditional monochrome or tortoise shell classics from brands like Paris Mode or France Luxe, or, for just a hint of sparkle, one of illustrator Jenny Walton’s soft pastel offerings with delicate crystal embellishment.
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There are also sleek metallic designs, as demonstrated by the new collaboration between Westman Atelier and Deborah Pagani, which finds Pagani’s sought-after U-shaped pin reimagined with the Westman Atelier open heart logo. The idea to join forces came organically after founder Gucci Westman discovered Pagani’s Hair Objet pins during the stay-at-home period of the early pandemic and quickly became obsessed. “They are just as easy to use as an elastic, but they transform a quick bun or updo into an effortlessly polished look,” says Westman of their perennial appeal. “Plus, they’re just really beautiful objects—they’re like jewelry for your hair!” An instant hit among the Vogue beauty team, the sculptural heart bauble, which I’m wearing as I type this, supplies a dose of joy to the laziest of laissez-faire styles.
Of course, once you find your choice U-shaped pin, you want to have a sense of what to do with it. The biggest general rule: “Make sure to twist the hair a little tighter than the desired result, knowing it will loosen slightly once secured,” instructs Roszak. For maximum security, she recommends tucking the ends into/under the twist or bun, then hooking the pin straight into the bun, then angling the back of the pin flush with the head in a “scooping motion” and pushing all the way through.
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