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.
“What’s great about this trend is that it can work on all textures and whether the hair is up or down,” says Smith. “I think we’ll see even more unconventional materials used in the hair throughout festival season too and for big red carpet events throughout the rest of the year.” Indeed, we've already seen everyone from Teyana Taylor to Megan Thee Stallion step out on the red carpets with the most striking of accessories adorning their styles.
Ready to take your summer hairstyle to the next level? Ahead, we've rounded up the best hair hardware inspiration online along with the best accessories to recreate the looks at home.
The best hair hardware inspiration
1. Gemstone Studs
Megan The Stallion’s updo was already a work of art, but the gemstone finishing touches take it to another level of beautiful.
The ultimate special occasion accessory, this fine crystal-topped hairpin would make the perfect addition to a wedding day style.
2. Layered Clips
I love the juxtaposition between this sleek braided ponytail and the cacophony of clips layered on the crown of the head. The clips themselves may be simple, but layering them up is instantly impactful.
3. Floral Pins
Floral hair accessories are a summer staple, but this year's iteration are a bit more structured and sharp in line with the hair hardware trend.
Give florals a hard edge with this silver bloom that will elevate the simplest of buns or top knot.
4. Maximalist Slides
Why choose one hair accessory when you can choose four? Yes, it's ostentatious, but I'm utterly obsessed with how cool this combination of slides looks.
This molten gold hair slide looks incredibly expensive.
5. Metallic Cuffs
Switching your usual hairband for a metallic cuff instantly elevates a basic ponytail into something extra-special.
6. Designer Claws
Claw clips are a summer essential for keeping hair out of your face in the heat, but this year it's designer hardware that will be reigning supreme.
