#31.Sleek hair and the return of the Claw clip
Adapting to GenZ hair trends
After watching a few GRWM vlogs by Gen Z creators, I decided to try wearing my hair in a ponytail. I scrunched it up and found a new hair tie—one that looked like it meant business. With my high ponytail and a boost of newfound confidence, I struck a pose like the girlies I’d seen in the videos, tucking my baby hairs around my ears into a somewhat sleek swoop. When I walked into the gym, I was pretty sure I turned some heads. Yeah, I was oozing that Gen Z confidence.
However, what those influencer girlies forgot to mention was that working out in this tight, sleek ponytail would give me a headache! I had never endured a 60-70 minute workout while battling a headache that worsened with every rep. Which muscle was I even trying to train? Arghhh!
Not going to lie (Ngl), I’ve always aspired to have a no-nonsense ponytail—the kind that keeps hair out of your face for hours. The closest I ever got was with a brand-new scrunchie (or is it scrunchy?). But inevitably, the weight of my hair would pull it down, leaving it drooping sadly after just a little while.
One weekend while riding the Metro, I noticed teenagers sporting claw clips. They wore high-rise wide-leg pants and full faces of makeup, but for their hair, they had messy updos with claw clips. French fashion from 2021 had officially arrived in India.
Both claw clips and sleek ponytails have made a comeback, along with the rest of the '90s/Y2K fashion trends. Although claw clips never really disappeared, they were usually hidden away in the back of a dresser, forgotten and unwanted.In India, they’re commonly known as hair clips and can be found in local Marwari stores, stacked in plastic baskets alongside Tic Tac clips and elastic hair ties.
“Why isn’t your hair done?” my aunt once asked my younger cousin, who was sporting a claw clip the size of her face at a family gathering.
“It is,” my cousin replied, clearly annoyed.
The conversation went back and forth—my aunt refusing to take the claw clip hairstyle seriously, while my cousin argued relentlessly, throwing a few tantrums along the way.
For most of my adult life, a claw clip signaled practicality. It meant keeping my hair out of my face on lazy Sundays or when my hair was oily. It was a look that said, “I’m not trying to be seen.” I never could have imagined a time when the claw clip would become a fashion statement—when wearing it would make someone look stylish. Yet here we are!
Fashion is funny that way—it constantly reinvents itself, making the ordinary extraordinary. What was once a practical tool to keep hair out of our faces, like the claw clip, is now a symbol of effortless style. And as much as I may have struggled with the sleek ponytail or rolled my eyes at the oversized claw clip, I’ve come to appreciate how these trends, old or new, give us the freedom to express ourselves. It’s a reminder that style isn’t always about perfection or following every trend to a tee. Sometimes, it’s about finding what makes you feel confident, comfortable, and—above all—authentically you.
Gif from Giphy
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