At Simitra's you will find hair accessories of all kinds and all periods which truly are Exquisite Things.

Hair ornaments are not something to be simply put in the hair. Rather they say something about us, and our personal identity. They reflect the kind of individual we are, or hope to be seen as.

Over the coming months we at Simitra's will be adding a vast array of hair accessories of all kinds and periods. Antique Victorian hair combs will live side by side with huge mantilla combs or funky Retro pony tails and barrettes, as well as a selection of hair ornaments from exotic destinations and other cultures.

Many collectors choose not to wear their hair accessories, but rather to display them as art objects. So a beautiful and delicate Japanese hair comb can become a treasured keepsake. Others may like to use these lovely items for re-enactment or pageants, an entry into a more glamorous and gracious age that has sadly been lost to us.

Our aim is to make this not only a store but also a research site for collectors, researchers, dealers and others who have an interest in hair accessories, hairdressing and costume. In the near future we will be adding a series of articles which may be freely downloaded and used for non commercial purposes. We will also be adding a historic picture gallery showing how these wonderful hair accessories were advertised, used and worn, as well as reading lists and links to further sources of information.

I am often asked how I came to deal merchandise in such an unusual field.

I became a collector and part time dealer in antique jewellery from my early 20s. For many years I have also been interested in the history of applied arts and costume.

In the late 1990s I inherited a vast and impressive collection of hair accessories left by my friend Norma Hague, after whom I was named. Norma, who had written a book on comb collecting and was a leading authority, had amassed a collection of over 2000 items, many of which came down to me. For several years they sat in boxes in my attic while I travelled the world and pursued my career. Eventually I decided that the Norma Hague Collection should really be dispersed back into the collecting community.

I found that there was a comb collecting community based in the USA, and many eager buyers waiting to purchase. That was how I came to sell the collection on eBay, and subsequently to open a store specialising in antique and vintage hair accessories.