I think I know what you're talking about except that we called them butterfly clips. The ones from the 80's were brightly colored and very cheap thin plastic, some of them even had a little daisy or butterfly shape to them while others were plain. In the 90's they were popular too, but they had become a little thicker and stronger plastic and usually clear, frosted, black, or a brown tortoiseshell look. I think those went out of style around 1997 but I still wear clear ones around the house to keep my hair out of my face when I'm cleaning or something!