Guide two
Pieces don't slip. Fixings do.
Almost nothing that moves during a long day is badly made. It is anchored to the wrong thing, or to too little of it.
Comb
Holds
Bites into a knot, a low bun or backcombed roots.
Suits
Most hair worn up, and anything with texture for the teeth to grip.
Watch for
Very fine or freshly washed hair, and anything under 8 cm at the crown. Add a grip either side.
Headband
Holds
Sits behind the ears and holds by tension across the crown.
Suits
Nearly everything, including hair worn down. The most forgiving fixing here.
Watch for
Very short hair, where the band ends have nothing to sit against, and very heavy hair, which pushes it forward.
Pin
Holds
Two long pins cross through the base into a knot or bun.
Suits
Thick and textured hair, and shapes worn tilted where a comb would show.
Watch for
Fine hair without a pad underneath — the pins have nothing to bite.
Sprung clip
Holds
Closes on a section of hair 2 to 3 cm thick.
Suits
Straight and waved hair, and pieces you want to reposition during the day.
Watch for
Tight curls, where the clip slides. Use the supplied pin instead.
Fitted head size
Holds
Sized 56 to 58 cm with an adjustable grosgrain band and internal grip loops.
Suits
Wide brims, where the whole crown has to sit level.
Watch for
High styles, which lift the crown and change the angle of the brim.
Weight is the other half
A fixing holds what it is asked to hold. Under about 50 g almost anything works. Between 50 and 100 g, the fixing has to match the hair. Over 100 g, expect to feel it by the fourth hour whatever you use.
Every product page states the weight in grams for exactly this reason. It is the number people wish they had checked.
The fitting kit- 22D-01 — Headband Simple
- 26D-03 — Comb Floral
- 31D-05 — Comb Feather
- 32B-01 — Fascinator Loop
- 34D-02 — Headband Padded
- 38E-01 — Birdcage Short
- 41B-02 — Fascinator Disc
- 44B-06 — Fascinator Floral
- 46B-03 — Fascinator Twist
- 46E-02 — Birdcage Full
- 47D-04 — Headband Sculpted
- 49B-05 — Fascinator Synthetic Feather
- 54B-04 — Fascinator Feather
- 58C-01 — Pillbox Plain
- 58D-06 — Headband Couture
- 62C-02 — Pillbox Satin
- 64C-03 — Cocktail Tilt
- 68B-07 — Fascinator Sculpted
- 76E-05 — Veiled Couture
- 78E-03 — Pillbox Veiled
- 84B-08 — Fascinator Couture
- 84F-03 — Fitting Kit
- 88C-05 — Cocktail Structured
- 92C-04 — Pillbox Beaded
- 104C-06 — Pillbox Couture
- 118A-01 — Brim Sinamay 10 cm
- 136A-03 — Brim Upturned
- 142A-02 — Brim Sinamay 13 cm
- 158A-05 — Brim Satin Trim
- 165A-04 — Brim Asymmetric
- 168E-04 — Brim Veiled
- 172A-07 — Brim Draped
- 176A-06 — Brim Feathered
- 214A-08 — Brim Couture
Test it before the morning of
Put it on the way you intend to wear it, with the hair you intend to have, and walk around the house for twenty minutes. If it moves, change the fixing — not the piece. That is what the fitting kit is for, and it is why it holds all four types rather than one.