Store P539 Autumn Romance Honey: A Vintage Hair Barrette Worth Knowing

When you first hold the Store P539 Autumn Romance Honey in your hands, the warmth of its colour catches the light in a way that feels almost liquid. This small barrette, barely three inches long, carries a deep honey-amber translucency that shifts from golden to burnt sienna depending on the angle. Unlike many mass-produced mid-century accessories, the Autumn Romance Honey was clearly crafted with an eye for both elegance and durability – a piece that was meant to be worn, not merely stored away.

The barrette is made from a high-quality cellulose acetate, a material that gained popularity in the 1950s for its ability to mimic the lustre of tortoiseshell without the weight or fragility. The colour here is not a uniform dye but a subtle gradient, achieved by layering thin sheets of different hues before heat-pressing them into a single solid form. When held up to natural light, you can see tiny swirls and wisps of darker amber suspended within the honey base – a signature of the best acetate work from that era. The reverse side is unadorned, finished with a simple metal clip that still snaps shut with a satisfying click after decades of use. If you are lucky enough to find one with its original nickel-plated spring intact, you have a piece that likely spent most of its life in a drawer rather than pinned into everyday hairstyles.

Design and Era

The Autumn Romance Honey belongs to a family of accessories that British manufacturers produced between the late 1940s and early 1960s. Its shape is gently curved – not quite a rectangle, not quite an oval – with scalloped edges that soften the silhouette. The surface is smooth, but if you run a fingertip along the top, you can feel the faintest ridges at the border, a detail that suggests hand-finishing rather than a purely mechanical process. This particular model likely came from a small workshop in Birmingham or London that specialised in dresser sets and matching accessories. The “Autumn Romance” name itself is a romantic marketing touch, evoking the rich palette of October leaves and harvest tones. The honey variety was probably the bestseller; lighter shades were harder to produce consistently, so they commanded a slight premium.

In the context of British hair fashion, the 1950s were a decade of structured elegance. Women wore their hair short and curled, or in neat chignons that required sturdy grips and slides. The Autumn Romance Honey would have been used to hold back a side wave or to anchor a velvet ribbon at the nape of the neck. Its size made it versatile: substantial enough to hold thick hair yet discreet enough to wear as a pair, one on each side. Collectors today prize these barrettes for their colour consistency and the quiet craft that went into their making.

Material and Craftsmanship

Cellulose acetate, though common in vintage accessories, varies enormously in quality. The Autumn Romance Honey is made from a premium grade that has resisted the clouding and discolouration that plague cheaper acetates. The clarity of the honey body suggests the manufacturer used a slow-curing process, allowing the layers to fuse without trapping bubbles. The edges are polished to a glass-like smoothness – no sharp corners to snag hair or break under tension. Compare this to the mass-produced plastic clips of the 1970s, and the difference in feel is immediate. The older piece has a warmth and heft that the later ones lack.

If you examine the clip mechanism closely, you will notice that the spring is housed in a channel that runs the full length of the barrette. This design distributes pressure evenly, reducing the risk of the clip snapping open unpredictably. It is a small engineering touch, but one that tells you the maker understood how hair accessories are actually used – not just how they look in a box. For a deeper look at how British designers approached functional elegance in hair accessories, the collector's guide to the Maison Archives Imogen Bow Barrette (P277) offers a fascinating parallel, especially in its use of balanced proportions and secure fastening.

How to Style the Autumn Romance Honey Today

The honey tone is remarkably easy to integrate into a modern wardrobe. It pairs beautifully with warm neutrals – camel, cream, rust, olive – and acts as a soft counterpoint to cooler greys and navy. For a casual daytime look, slide the barrette into a low ponytail or use it to pin a half-up twist at the crown. If you have fine hair, a small dab of texturising powder at the roots will give the clip enough grip to stay put. For something more polished, weave the barrette into a side braid, letting the honey colour peek through the strands like a hidden jewel.

Because the Autumn Romance Honey is acetate, it has a slight flexibility. You can gently bend it – no more than a few degrees – to match the curve of your head, but do not force it. Acetate becomes more pliable with warmth, so you can shape it by holding it against your skin for a minute before insertion. This is a technique that vintage wearers knew well, and it makes a surprisingly big difference in comfort.

Care and Preservation

Acetate is more delicate than modern plastics, but with simple habits you can keep the Autumn Romance Honey looking beautiful for another fifty years. Here are the essentials:

• Keep away from heat and direct sunlight. Acetate can warp or fade if left on a windowsill or near a radiator. Store it in a fabric-lined box or a drawer away from strong light.
• Clean with a soft, dry cloth. If you need to remove hairspray or oil, dampen the cloth with lukewarm water – never alcohol or acetone, which will attack the surface.
• Avoid prolonged contact with perfume or strong chemicals. Spray your hair first, then pin the clip in after the scent has settled.
• Check the spring once a year. If it feels loose, a jeweller can replace it without damaging the acetate body. Do not attempt to bend the metal yourself.
• Never pull the clip open sideways. Open it from the hinge end to keep the spring aligned.

Where to Look for Authentic Pieces

Genuine Autumn Romance Honey barrettes turn up at estate sales, specialist vintage markets, and online auctions. Because the name “Autumn Romance” was used across a small product line, you may also encounter matching combs or hair pins with the same honey colour. The key identifier is the metal clip: it should be stamped with a tiny maker’s mark – often a letter inside a diamond or a crown – though many were unmarked. If the piece has a moulded “Autumn Romance” or “Honey” stamp on the back, it is likely a later reproduction or a different brand. The original makers preferred a clean, unmarked back, letting the material speak for itself.

One particularly rewarding find is a set that includes the barrette alongside a matching hair comb and a small dresser tray. These sets were often given as gifts or sold as part of a coordinated vanity collection. The honey-comb pattern on the tray (not to be confused with actual beeswax comb) mirrors the translucent layers of the barrette, creating a unified aesthetic that is rare to see intact. If you ever come across such a set, do not break it apart – the value and the historical context are preserved best when the pieces stay together.

A final note on pricing: a single Autumn Romance Honey barrette in excellent condition (no cracks, minimal wear to the metal, vivid colour) typically sells for between £15 and £35 at British vintage fairs. Sets with the comb and tray can command £60 to £100. If you see one listed for significantly less, inspect the photos carefully – faded colour or a loose hinge are common issues that are not always visible in a listing. But even a slightly worn piece can be restored with gentle polishing (a microfiber cloth and a dab of mineral oil, wiped clean) and a spring replacement. The reward is a small, glowing piece of British mid-century design that still does its job beautifully.