This '80s Hair Accessory Is Back in a Big Way for Spring (2025)

With their long, curved design (it's giving banana!! which is not what they said when these clips were first popularized in the '80s and '90s, but certainly why they named them that) and grippy teeth, banana clips are back in a big way this spring.

Scroll through TikTok, and a video boasting their accessorizing and pony weight-distributing powers of the banana clip will be as hard to avoid as an actual banana peel in your path. You can blame it on a need for the last season of Stranger Things to finalize a release date, awards season's abundance of '80s inspired looks, or simply our love for an easy hairstyle, but you might as well surrender to it. Aren't falls a little less embarrassing when you know they're coming?

Ahead, everything to know about the accessory—including how to use it.

What Are Banana Clips?

Last summer, celebrity hairstylist Jennifer Korab told Byrdie that banana clips are ultimately used to secure the hair in a curved, elongated position. They work magic on ponytails and lower-sitting updos, evenly distributing your strands throughout their combed bodies.

"Banana clips tend to work better with longer and thicker hair due to their larger 'wingspan' compared to claw clips," she says.

Besides their ability to style your hair without creasing it and offer your pony major length and volume, one huge pro to having one in your kit is its comfort level. You can even lay on down without the flat accessory stabbing you in the back of the head.

How to Use a Banana Clip

It's possible that the new generation of banana clip lovers will inspire the invention of a new, great-for-thin hair version of the accessory. Until then... there's always the old way to go about it. Try it with your own texture, and see if it sticks.

"Open the banana clip and position it at the nape of your neck," celebrity hairstylist Valery Josephpreviously explained. "Gather your hair upwards and close the clip, securing all the hair within it. This [approach] creates a beautiful, cascading effect."

Another foolproof way to perfect your updo with a banana clip is to start by tying back your hair into a loose ponytail. Then, place the clip, closing the teeth around the base of your ponytail and locking it into place.

Once you're happy with placement, slide the elastic off so just the banana clip remains for a secure, retro 'do.

Get the Look

If you're not lucky enough to have a collection of banana clips saved from your mom's high school stash, there are plenty of brands that are still making them. Kitsch offers classic black and tortoiseshell options, or you can upgrade to a fancy pants, handmade acetate version by France Luxe. Australian brand Aethera also has some bedazzled choices in their collection. You can even find some funky options on Etsy, like this fabric covered banana clip or some colorful vintage option.

There's always money in the banana (clip) stand!! Now throw up your hair and get to work.