Chelsea Parke Kramer, CEO of the viral fashion brand Parke, pulled her hair back with a claw clip in a TikTok video last Thursday. The post, captioned, “Who even is Chelsea Parke anyway this hair style is so ugly 
,” has 2.3 million views and nearly 100 thousand likes. TikTok’s reaction to Kramer’s tongue-in-cheek post shows just how closely younger generations have their eyes on the hype. The internet’s fixation with the trend says more about hype cycles and the cult of aesthetic consumerism than about hair, though for what it’s worth, the $17 branded hair clip is already sold out.
In the video, Kramer laughed and announced that she was “doing the Chelsea Parke claw clip,” effectively dubbing the look “The Chelsea Parke Claw Clip.” The conversation among her huge Gen Z and Zillennial following included many who jumped on the trend and posted themselves trying the style. Some people were confused, and others—haters—got worked up.
@chelseaparkee Who even is Chelsea parke anyway this hair style is so ugly
♬ original sound – chelsea parke
How the Chelsea Parke claw clip hairstyle split the internet
A lot of people had fun with the look and its new name. Some admitted it wasn’t the right style for them or that they were somehow unable to get the hang of it.
“Just another day trying to perfect the Chelsea Parke claw clip method,” commented @hotbutmature. @maddylynn023 shared, “Chelsea parke claw clip attempt #2.” “I’ve accepted that the Chelsea Parke claw clip look will never work for me,” said @savvevans.
Some people were throwing shade because this woman seemingly colonized the half pony that was once free and open to all.
“This pmo,” commented @thisisnotcaroline. “So this is all your fault?” asked @__keelynicole__. @allymcnulty summed it up, “love how upset people are over this.”
On Reddit, @t_town101 started a thread called, “‘Chelsea parke claw clip’ STFU” where people complained that girls crazed over it on TikTok are all sheeple and it’s annoying.
“I beg people to find some originality in their lives. Not everything needs to be a trend or something you need to ‘literally obsess’ over. I swear, you can lead some of these influencers into radioactive waste if Alix Earle told them it was okay to jump in,” @t_town101 shared.
@hokiehi307 responded, “I thought I was losing my mind when I saw what the actual hairstyle was. I do that shit every morning when I put my makeup on????” Others had similar reactions. “LOL LITERALLY! Like is this not just putting ur hair in a clip quickly,” @Striking_Substance35 replied.
Others were just confused:
Who is Chelsea Parke?
Chelsea Parke Kramer is the founder and CEO of Parke.
Inspired by the perfect white tee and denim look, Kramer founded her company, Parke, in 2022. The label initially focused on recycled denim, branched out to everyday basics and, in 2024 began to manufacture denim. According to an interview in Forbes, the business’s success is tied to the brand’s—and Kramer’s—engagement with loyal followers on social media.
Kramer’s eponymous label sells a $17 claw clip that features the brand’s name. It comes in Evergreen, Sapphire, Green, Flamingo, Ruby, Ballet, and Valentine’s Stripe—but you’ll have to get in line. The claw clip is sold out in every color. Like many
Why do Kramer and her brand resonate so much?
It’s all about sweatshirts—and making your personality consumerist.
According to the brand, Parke sweatshirts routinely sell out with every drop. ‘It’ sweatshirts have been a thing among Zoomers and Zilliennials for the past six months. According to analytics firm Trendalytics, the amount of fashion content on TikTok featuring sweatshirts increased by 898%. The trend is led by digital-first brands like Parke, along with The Bar, Daily Drills, and Dairy Boy, who all stoke hype with small volume drops, careful design, and high-quality material, via social media. Who better to sell an ‘It’ sweatshirt, than an ‘It’ girl. Parke, in particular, is a brand headed up by one.
Kramer has over 150K followers on TikTok where she regularly shares her life and outfits, looping it all back to the brand. TikTok user @logansavarie2 commented on one of Kramer’s videos, “I literally never skip a Chelsea Parke video ever.”
Parke prioritizes close contact with customers by releasing new items in small monthly drops and seeking real-time feedback from the community. Kramer told Forbes, “When customers see that their input directly influences our brand, it deepens their loyalty and encourages repeat purchases. Ultimately, this transparent approach has transformed our followers into a full-on community that supports us and shares in our growth collection after collection.”
Kramer gives them what they want. And what they want seems to be ’90s Princess Diana Pinterest fodder, whatever’s Hailey Biebering today, and “lifestyle,” which according to brand strategists, seems to mean “feeling like you’re part of something bigger” than the product.
When the hype is the point: What Parke’s fandom tells us about trend loyalty
In February, people were really mad that they couldn’t order items from the Parke Valentine’s drop, inciting a whole conversation on TikTok.
TikToker @lyssoffduty begged the internet, “Why is everyone obsessed and freaking out over this brand? It looks like The Bar and like all these other brands that kind of do the same thing. What makes this so special?” and goes on to explain, “I will spend money on things just because people hype them up.”
In another post about the Parke Valentines debacle, a woman who admitted to owning too many high end sweatshirts spoke to “the sweatshirt epidemic,” and suggested maybe the appeal is in the camaraderie: “I think it’s also fun because it’s one of those things that if you see somebody else out in the wild wearing one, it’s kind of like… I fuck with you, like, we see each other kind of thing.”
Seems like people just want to be in on it, no matter what “it” is. Maybe Kramer’s post hit so hard because it was just confusing enough to stoke the kind of curiosity and desire to belong that inspires people to run around TikTok trying to figure out what they missed.
Anyway, here’s how to do the ‘Chelsea Parke claw look’
If you’re unable to figure out this simple and intuitive hairstyle, here’s a step-by-step tutorial by a woman who called it “The Chelsea Parke Claw Clip,” even though she’d “been doing it for so long.”
- Use a medium to small sized claw clip.
- Section off your hair at the point where your eyebrows bisect your face, and pull it back as if you’re putting your hair in a ponytail while keeping your middle part intact at your crown.
- Hold your hair in one hand. Make the fingers of your other hand into a comb, and scratch straight back over your part.
- Clip up the hair you’re holding with your claw clip.
- Smooth it out and adjust for volume.
Chelsea Parke Kramer did not immediately reply to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
