Whose Hair Would You Wear?

Hair as an accessory surfaced on countless SS09 runways in the past few weeks. From Dior’s exaggerated, crimped extensions (which, rumor has it, took three days to construct) to Maison Martin Margiela’s Cousin Itt-esque creations, in-your-face coifs were a dime-a-dozen. But, as New York Magazine points out, hair-made accessories aren’t only showing up on runways; they’re flooding the retail scene as well.

In a recent post, NYM highlights an array of accessories—from an eyelash necklace and “hairrings” to resin-coated hair drawings and the more straightforward Hairball (which can be worn as pin or pillbox hat). And it’s not the first time a trend piece highlighting the same slew of accessories has run. Back in April of this year, Metromix ran a remarkably similar round-up. Considering hair jewelry first became popular during the especially prosperous Victorian era—as mourning pieces as well as gifts intended to symbolize love and affection—it seems odd the trend would catch on now. But, then again, trading in gems for borrowed locks seems perfectly reasonable given the current economic crisis. And it’s not creepy wearing someone else’s hair; chances are, the hair donor isn’t dead or in a Chinese prison or anything.