Barrettes Barrettes are generally smaller than hair clips tend to be, which makes them ideal for holding back thin hair or the hair on the side of your head. They can be worn in a number of different ways, depending on their size and the overall look that you want for your hair. There are very short barrettes clips that can be used to pull back little bits of hair from around the face, while bigger barrettes can be worn at the back of the head and are used to pull back the majority of a person's hair. Still, other barrettes are meant to be worn as a decoration.