Hooray—summer is finally upon us and, with it, the season of weddings, festivals and the chance to have a little fun with our beauty routines. And when it comes to summer hairstyles, there’s one trend that’s about to take your finishing touches to the next level. Enter: hair hardware. While last year saw us obsessed with the oversized scrunchies and intricately-tied bows, 2025’s hair accessories are a lot more structured, metallic and, dare I say it, cool.
“While last year we saw a lot of fabric use in the hair, this year it feels a lot more mechanical and metallic and with a technological influence,” explains hair stylist and trend forecaster Tom Smith. It’s Smith himself that coined this trend and describes “hair hardware” as hair accessories with a “slightly bionic feel”. Rather than soft textures and flowing silhouettes, this look is all about metallics, stones and pearls. Think statement clips, gold and silver ponytail cuffs, and gemstone-studded hair pins.
