The Leaf Hair Clip: A Multicoloured British Vintage Essential
On a drizzly Saturday in a Portobello Road arcade, I once watched a dealer pull a tangled handful of plastic leaves from a shoebox marked “80s odds.” She shook them loose, and a cascade of emerald, coral, amber, and violet clattered onto the velvet cloth. Each leaf was a small sculpture—veins moulded into the surface, a gentle curve where the stem met the clip mechanism. “People walk past these every day,” she said, “but they’re exactly what the costume departments come looking for.” She was right. The multicoloured leaf hair clip, often dismissed as a novelty, is one of the most versatile and historically rich accessories in the British vintage canon.
This article is a practical guide to identifying, styling, and caring for these leafy treasures. Whether you are a seasoned collector or someone who just picked up a single clip at a charity shop, the details matter—and they are worth knowing.
What Exactly Is a Leaf Hair Clip?
A leaf hair clip is a spring-loaded barrette (usually a snap clip or a French clip) topped with a three-dimensional leaf shape. The “multicoloured” descriptor means the leaf is not a single solid shade but features two or more colours—sometimes blended in a gradient, sometimes painted in stripes, and occasionally marbled like a polished stone. The base material is almost always cellulose acetate or early thermoplastics, chosen for their ability to hold vibrant pigment and be moulded into fine detail.
The leaf itself is rarely botanically accurate. Instead, it borrows the general outline of an oak, ivy, or beech leaf, then exaggerates the veins and adds a glossy or matte finish. The clip mechanism is typically a metal spring concealed inside a plastic casing, with small teeth to grip the hair. These clips were mass-produced from the 1950s through the 1980s, primarily in Britain, France, and Italy, and sold in department stores, market stalls, and haberdasheries.
A Brief History of the Leaf Motif in British Hair Accessories
The leaf motif has deep roots in British accessory design. During the Art Nouveau period (roughly 1890–1910), jewellers like Liberty & Co. produced silver and enamel hair combs shaped like flowing leaves, inspired by natural forms. Those were expensive, handcrafted pieces. By the 1950s, the same aesthetic had been democratised through plastic. Manufacturers such as B. Savoy, R. H. & Co., and later Clairmont produced affordable leaf clips that echoed the earlier luxury designs but used bright, playful colours suited to the post-war appetite for cheerful fashion.
The multicoloured leaf clip really came into its own in the 1970s, when colour-blocking and earthy tones dominated British style. A single clip could combine burnt orange with mustard yellow, or forest green with teal blue, allowing women to coordinate with the season’s palette without buying multiple accessories. By the 1980s, the clips had grown larger and more sculptural, often appearing in the hair of models in Nova and Honey magazines. They fell out of mainstream production in the early 1990s, which is precisely why original examples are now sought after.
How to Identify an Authentic Vintage Multicoloured Leaf Clip
Not every colourful leaf clip you find on eBay or at a car boot sale is a genuine vintage piece. Contemporary reproductions exist, and they often lack the subtleties that make the originals collectable. Here is a checklist of features to examine.
Material and Weight
Original clips from the 1950s to 1980s are made from cellulose acetate or early polystyrene. Cellulose acetate has a distinct, slightly woody smell when rubbed briskly, and it feels warm to the touch. The clip should have some heft—lightweight, brittle plastic is a sign of cheap modern production. Hold the clip in your palm; a genuine vintage piece feels substantial, not flimsy.
Colour Application
Multicoloured vintage leaves were coloured in one of two ways. The first is a layered moulding process, where two or more colours of liquid acetate were poured into the same mould and allowed to swirl together—this creates a marbled effect, with no two clips exactly alike. The second method is hand-painting or airbrushing, visible as slight brush strokes or uneven edges where colours meet. Modern reproductions tend to use solid, uniform paint or a simple dip-dye that lacks depth. Look for colour transitions that feel organic, not mechanical.
Clip Mechanism
Turn the clip over. The spring mechanism should be made of steel or brass, with visible rivets. The teeth (the small prongs that grip the hair) are usually metal on vintage clips, though some later 1980s examples used clear plastic teeth. If the clip has a moulded plastic hinge with no metal spring, it is almost certainly a contemporary piece. Also check for a maker’s mark—many British clips have a tiny stamp on the back of the leaf or on the clip arm, such as “MADE IN ENGLAND” or a manufacturer’s initials.
Condition Indicators
Because cellulose acetate is a plant-based plastic, it can shrink or warp over time. A slight curve to the leaf is normal; a clip that no longer snaps shut or has a cracked hinge may be beyond practical use. Surface scratches are common and can often be polished out, but deep gouges that expose a different colour underneath are permanent. Avoid clips that show “vinegar syndrome”—a sharp, sour smell and a white, powdery surface—as this indicates the acetate is breaking down and cannot be reversed.
Styling the Multicoloured Leaf Clip with a Modern Wardrobe
The leaf clip’s greatest strength is its ability to bridge the gap between vintage character and contemporary practicality. Here are three ways to wear it that feel current, not costume-like.
Low Ponytail with a Single Statement Clip
Gather your hair into a low ponytail at the nape of your neck, secure with a clear elastic, then clip the leaf horizontally just above the elastic, with the leaf pointing downward. This works especially well with a leaf that has two strong colours, such as amber and burgundy, because the clip becomes a deliberate focal point against a neutral top or dress. The low placement keeps the silhouette clean and office-appropriate.
Side-Swept Half-Up Style
Take a section of hair from the front of your head, twist it lightly, and sweep it to one side. Secure with a single leaf clip placed vertically, with the leaf pointing upward. This style suits medium to long hair and pairs beautifully with a checked blazer or a simple knit. The multicoloured leaf adds a pop of colour without overwhelming the outfit.
Cluster of Small Clips on a Top Knot
If you have two or three matching leaf clips (or clips from the same series), you can arrange them around the base of a high bun or top knot. Space them evenly, like the points of a triangle, and let the leaves fan out slightly. This is a more playful look, ideal for weekends or summer events, and it echoes the way 1970s models wore multiple clips in editorial shoots.
Care and Preservation of Vintage Leaf Clips
Owning a vintage hair clip means accepting that the material is older than you are, and it needs gentle handling. Here is how to keep your leaf clip looking its best for another few decades.
Cleaning
Wipe the clip with a soft, dry microfiber cloth after each wear. This removes hair oils and product residue, which can accelerate the breakdown of cellulose acetate. If the clip is sticky or grimy, dampen the cloth with a tiny amount of mild soap and water—never soak the clip, and never use alcohol, acetone, or any solvent, as these will dissolve the plastic. Dry the clip immediately with a separate cloth.
Storage
Store leaf clips flat in a drawer or a lined box, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Sunlight fades the colours unevenly, and heat can warp the leaf shape. Do not stack heavy objects on top of them. If you have multiple clips, wrap each one in acid-free tissue paper to prevent scratches. Avoid storing them in plastic bags, as trapped moisture can encourage vinegar syndrome.
Repair
If the spring mechanism becomes loose, a jeweller or a watch repairer can often tighten it. If a tooth breaks off, the clip will still hold hair but may be less secure. Do not try to glue broken plastic back together with standard superglue—it will leave a visible mark and may react with the acetate. Instead, accept the clip as a display piece or consult a specialist in vintage plastics.
Where to Find Multicoloured Leaf Clips in Britain
These clips are not rare, but they require patience. The best hunting grounds are charity shops in smaller market towns (where stock may have sat undisturbed for years), antique centres that have a dedicated “costume jewellery” cabinet, and online auction sites where sellers list them under “vintage hair slides” or “retro barrettes.” Prices vary widely: a single clip in good condition typically costs between £5 and £20, while a set of three matching clips can go for £30 to £50. If you are specifically looking for clips made in Britain, search for the “MADE IN ENGLAND” stamp or the mark of R. H. & Co.—a Birmingham-based manufacturer that produced some of the most colourful leaf designs of the 1960s and 1970s.
For collectors who want to understand how these clips fit into a broader British accessory lineage, the The Checkered Hair Claw: A British Vintage Accessory Revival explores a similar democratisation of plastic hair accessories in the 1980s. And if you are drawn to the sculptural, nature-inspired shapes of leaf clips, you might also enjoy the The Red Velvet Crown: A Century of British Hair Accessory History, which traces how natural motifs persisted in British design from Edwardian tiaras to high-street hair clips.
A final note on authenticity: when you find a leaf clip that catches your eye, hold it up to the light. A genuine multicoloured vintage piece will show tiny variations in the colour—a wisp of orange bleeding into yellow, a vein of dark green running through the centre. That imperfection is not a flaw; it is the signature of a time when each clip was made by hand or by machines that still allowed for human variation. That is what makes it worth keeping.