Pearl slides and padded bands for the finishing touch

Prices on this shelf

Pearl slides

A slide is the slim cousin of the bobby pin: a flat, sprung clip that lies along the hair rather than gripping a bunch of it. Ours are 6 cm long and sold as a pair, because most people wear them either side of a parting or one above each ear. The face is set with a line of glass pearls, each one coated to give the soft sheen of a real pearl, on a gold-tone metal base.

The pearls are glued and then held by a small lip of metal on each side, so they cannot roll out if a slide is dropped on a tiled floor. Glass pearls are heavier than plastic beads and have a cooler feel against the skin, which is the quickest way to tell them apart.

Enamel slides

Alongside the pearl pairs we keep a small number of enamel slides: the same 6 cm sprung base with a face of baked enamel in blush, sage or ink. Enamel is a glassy coating fused on with heat, so the colour is hard and glossy and will not peel like paint. Enamel slides are added to an order on request at the same price as a pearl pair; write "enamel" and the colour in the checkout notes.

Padded and knotted headbands

The padded headband has a flexible core inside a softly stuffed tube of velvet or satin, about 4 cm wide at the crown and tapering toward the ends. The taper is what lets it sit behind the ears without pressing. Inside, the band is lined with a soft brushed fabric so it does not slide backwards on smooth hair.

The knotted version uses the same core and covering with a single fabric knot tied at the top. It comes in at the same price, A$29; choose "knotted" in the notes at checkout. Padded bands come in plum velvet, black velvet, ivory satin and sage satin; knotted bands in plum, navy and blush.

Getting the fit right

Our bands are cut to sit comfortably on most adult heads. If a band feels tight behind the ears, flex it gently outward a few times while holding both ends; the core is made to be shaped a little. If it feels loose and slips forward, wear it slightly further back, where the head is wider. We do not make bands to measure, and we do not sell child sizes.

For slides, open the spring with your thumb, slide the clip in against the direction you want the hair to lie and let it close. If a slide slips in very fine hair, a single bobby pin crossed underneath gives it something to hold.

Keeping them looking new

Keep pearl slides away from perfume and hairspray while the spray is still wet; the coating on glass pearls dulls if it is soaked repeatedly. Put slides on after spraying, not before. Wipe them with a dry cloth and store them flat in their pouch so they do not knock against each other.

Headbands can be spot-cleaned with a damp cloth. Velvet should be brushed with the pile, never rubbed against it. Store bands on a flat shelf or over a rounded object rather than squashed in a drawer, so the padding keeps its shape.