The P391 Pearl Bow French Barrette: History, Materials, and Styling Tips
In the Store p-series catalog, the P391 is listed as a “pearl bow har barrette” — a phrase that looks like a typo until you realise that “har” was an old stock-sheet abbreviation for “hair”. The full name is a pearl bow hair barrette, and the construction is French: a long, flat clasp with a hinged spring mechanism that presses the top and bottom plates together instead of relying on interlocking teeth. That simple mechanical difference explains why so many mid-century British hair accessories used this design, and why a P391 in good condition still holds a section of hair soundly without pulling or kinking it.
What Makes a Barrette “French”?
The term “French barrette” gets tossed around by vintage sellers, but it has a specific meaning. A true French barrette has two flat, slightly curved plates joined at one end by a hinge. The opposite end carries a spring-loaded clasp that snaps shut over a small lip on the lower plate. When closed, the two plates apply even pressure along the whole length of the barrette, which distributes the weight of even a heavy ornament across a broad section of hair.
This mechanism is different from the alligator clip, which uses a row of metal teeth that bite into the hair. Alligator clips were cheaper to produce and became common after the 1920s, but they gripped aggressively and often snagged fine strands. French barrettes, by contrast, were considered more refined. They were the natural choice for formal accessories, bridal pieces, and decorative bows because the smooth upper plate offered a perfect surface for ornamentation.
- Hinge quality — Good French barrettes rivet the hinge, not just crimp it. Check whether the rivet head is smooth and centred.
- Spring tension — A fresh clip snaps shut with a clean click. Loose springs suggest heavy use or wear.
- Back plate — On vintage pieces, the lower plate is often plain metal or covered with the same material as the top plate, unlike modern barrettes that use plastic teeth.
The Pearl Bow in Mid-Century British Fashion
The bow motif has a long history in British hair accessories, but it took on a distinct character in the 1940s and 1950s. Post-war austerity encouraged a taste for “good artificial” materials — faux pearls, polished resins, and carefully crafted imitation tortoiseshell. A pearl bow barrette satisfied the craving for glamour without the cost of real jewels. The pearl beadwork was usually applied by hand, each bead threaded onto a fine wire that was then secured to the barrette base. On the P391, the bow is made of small, iridescent faux pearls arranged in two loops and a central knot, a shape that echoes the velvet bows worn by actresses in post-war British cinema.
The bow carried a subtle cultural meaning, too. In the 1950s, a single bow in the hair suggested a playful but polished femininity — think of Grace Kelly’s early films or the cover photographs of British women’s weeklies. By the 1960s, the same motif appeared in youth fashion, though often smaller and more geometric. The P391 sits firmly in the earlier tradition: its chunky, rounded pearl bow is optimistic and romantic, the kind of accessory a woman might wear to a wedding or a summer garden party.
Materials and Manufacturing Techniques
Vintage French barrettes from the mid-20th century were built to last, and the P391 shows the typical three-part construction. The base is a flat metal frame, usually brass or steel, coated with a layer of gold or silver-toned lacquer to prevent tarnishing. The top plate is covered with a decorated material — on the P391, that means a layer of cream-coloured cellulose acetate, over which the pearl bow is mounted. Cellulose acetate was a wonder material of its era: it could be moulded into soft, warm shapes, dyed to imitate more expensive natural materials, and polished to a gentle sheen. It replaced celluloid in the 1930s because it was less flammable and more stable over time.
The pearls themselves are a type of man-made pearl known in the trade as “glass pearl” or “paste pearl”. A glass pearl is a small glass bead coated with several layers of a pearlescent substance derived from fish scales (guanine) or synthetic pearl essence. High-quality mid-century pearls have a warm, lustrous finish that catches light softly, while cheaper modern reproductions often look harshly shiny. On a well-preserved P391, the pearls should have a creamy white colour with only slight yellowing — a natural sign of age in vintage pieces. If the coating has begun to flake or the beads appear dull with bald spots, that is a sign of improper storage or exposure to humidity.
The “Har” Mystery and Dating Clues
Vintage collectors often puzzle over the phrase “har barrette” in catalog lists. It is almost certainly a truncation of “hair barrette,” used in this way on handwritten stock cards and later in early computerised inventory systems. The product code “P391” follows the Store p-series convention, where “P” stood for personal accessories. These codes were never standardised across British manufacturers, but they help date a piece to the late 1950s or early 1960s, when the p-series catalogues were in widest circulation.
There are other dating clues on the barrette itself. Look for a small engraved marking on the inner hinge — often “Made in England” or simply an importer’s code. Branded pieces sometimes carry a company name like “Ondine” or “Byron Jay,” but many successful accessories were unbranded, sold through department store haberdashery counters in boxes with ornate typography. The P391’s use of gold-toned metal with a cream top plate is characteristic of late 1950s taste, when pale colours were considered elegant against the newly fashionable beehive and bouffant hairstyles.
Styling the P391 with a Modern Wardrobe
Because the French barrette applies even pressure, it is an excellent tool for fine or layered hair that other clips pull out of. The P391 works best in a low ponytail, a half-up twist, or a side-swept French roll. To create a modern look, gather the hair at the nape of the neck, twist it upward, and clamp the barrette horizontally across the twist so the pearl bow sits just off-centre. The barrette then reads as a piece of jewellery rather than a mere hair gripper.
For a softer daytime outfit, pair the pearl bow with a fine-knit jumper and tailored trousers. The warm cream of the pearls complements camel, oatmeal, and dusty pink. In the evening, the same barrette adds a romantic note to a slip dress or a simple blouse with a high collar. Do not be afraid to wear it with other vintage hair accessories — the beret-style sets favoured by British accessories houses often included soberer pieces, but a pearl bow is playful enough to mix with a hidden side comb.
A Practical Styling List
- Low twist: secure hair with the P391 across a nape twist for a clean, French-inspired finish.
- Half-up: use the barrette to hold back an upper section, letting the rest fall in loose waves.
- Side sweep: clamp the barrette at the temple, pushing the bow slightly outward for a sculptural effect.
- Bridal touch: pair with a short veil or a simple pearl headband; the bow echoes the ornament without competing.
Choosing and Caring for a Vintage P391
When you find a P391 for sale, examine three areas: the hinge, the spring clasp, and the pearl coating. Gently open and close the barrette. It should offer resistance but not grind, and the clasp should catch securely. Inspect the underside of the upper plate — if there are scratches or indentations, the barrette was worn often, but that does not mean it is ruined. A little wear on the back plate is acceptable; a rusty hinge is not, since rust will continue to corrode and can stain hair.
Once you own a piece, care is straightforward. Clean the surface gently with a soft, slightly damp cloth, taking care not to soak the metal or the pearls. Never immerse the barrette in water or use alcohol, which will dissolve the pearl coating. Store it flat in a jewellery box or a small padded envelope, away from direct sunlight and heat. Sunlight accelerates the yellowing of cellulose acetate and can dry the pearl coating until it flakes.
If the spring becomes loose, a jeweller can often replace it with a matching spring from an old donor barrette. This kind of repair is worth doing because vintage French-barrette mechanisms are far more durable than most modern spring clips. A repaired P391 will still close firmly, and the faint mark of a jeweller’s pliers on the inner hinge is a small price for another fifty years of use.
One final detail: when you wear a P391, fasten it in clean, dry hair. The natural oils from your scalp will slowly penetrate the metal and pearl coating, so a little extra diligence pays off. Slide the barrette into place and listen for that reassuring click — the same click women heard in the 1950s when they fastened their own pearl bows before a garden party. That sound connects you to a history of careful craftsmanship and a design that still works perfectly today.