My First Chanel Purchase EVER (+Why A Chanel Hair Clip Was The Right Choice For Me!)

My First Chanel Purchase EVER

Hello friends, today I thought I would share a little memory about my first ever Chanel purchase. Well, actually, it was it wasn’t my who purchased it, it was my boyfriend. I’ve always been a big fan of hair clips, in fact, I have a pretty extensive collection of them. For a long time it was my ‘thing’, I always had a good hair clip in my hair, from buttons to bows, I loved them! Anyway, I had been thinking about how nice it would be to have a Chanel hair clip for a while and I mentioned it to my boyfriend when we first started seeing each other and like all good boyfriends, he stored it away in his memory bank and promptly went to buy me one for Christmas. Now here is where I start to feel a little guilty and embarrassed, when I told him about how I wanted one, I *may* have mentioned the price, or at least, what I thought the price was. I thought it was around £100, so that’s what he was expecting to pay. The only thing is, he wasn’t wearing his glasses when he went into the store and he picked out what he thought was the best hair clip in the store and didn’t bother looking at the tiny price tag on the back. He had a slight shock when he went to pay as the sales assistant told him the price when he handed over his credit card…. £500! And yes! I did feel bad when he eventually told me the story. However, 7 years on, I still love it and I’m still wearing it and I’m pleased to say, he now checks the price tag before buying me gifts!

Why I love The Chanel Hair Clip

So, why the Chanel hair clip? Well, I’m not really sure!!! I guess I’ve always been a real jewellery-gal and a good hair clip not only adds interest to your outfit, but it also frames your face and adds a real cuteness to your look. It’s also an accessory that’s really popular with the bougie older ladies of Paris, who are my forever style inspo! Finally, I liked the idea of starting with a Chanel piece which didn’t feel glaringly obvious, not the Classic Flap Bag, GST or Wallet On Chain or even a pearl necklace, for me a hair clip felt simple, wearable and perfectly suited to my style. I guess I was kinda right as seven years on, here we are…

Six Years On Review…

When I first got my hair clip, I wore it loads. I was SO proud of it and as a result I got a lot of milage out of it! I clipped it in the side of my hair (like in the first picture), I secured my messy pink-haired bun with it, and I tied my hair into a half ponytail for a more demure look (like in the second pic). However, like most of my wardrobe, when I moved house, I packed it into a storage box and embarrassingly, it didn’t see the light of day for about two years. Dreadful right?! It’s finally out of storage and for the past few years, I’ve been wearing it again and really enjoying it! The way I have styled it remains the same and I’m pleased to say that hair clips are becoming a big trend so I’ll be getting a lot more wear out of it over the next year or so! In terms of it’s age, I have to say, it’s looking pretty great! The clasp is still nice and strong, the hardware hasn’t discoloured, the crystals are still exactly where they should be and generally, it looks great. The only thing I have noticed, is a couple of the CC’s have slight nicks or chips in them. It looks like I must have walked into a wall or something, maybe I dropped it somewhere along the line, but aside from that, it’s in great condition and I’m really happy! I know it sounds like a lot to spend on a hair clip, which is traditionally a ‘cheaper’ accessory, but these Chanel ones are beautifully made and beautiful quality. They are made in France just like most of their other costume jewellery and if I’m still wearing mine after 7 years and it still looks great, then surely it’s a pretty good fashion investment… right?!

Go Shopping!

As I mentioned, hair clips are a HUGE trend for the next few seasons, so if you are tempted to splash out on a Chanel hair clip, I can assure you that not only is it a fun trend to buy into, but you can pick up a pre-loved or vintage Chanel hair clip for a lot less than me boyfriend did all those years ago! I’ve come up with a nice little shopping edit below, so if you see one you like, click the link and treat yo’ self! Also, just a reminder, if you buy one from Vestiaire Collective you will get £15 off your first order.