Who says you can only wear one brooch at a time?! I say wear as many as you want. YES! Provided you match them well and pin them close to each other, no one will notice you’re not wearing a unique one-piece accessory. This (shamefully simple) idea struck me when I recently received a brooch as a gift. Because I wanted to wear it immediately, but was already wearing another brooch, it occurred to me that I could wear the two at the same time. And because they looked amazing together, voilà, a new trend was born! I’m thrilled to be able to wear more of my brooches more often.
Snaps of my brooch family. The two deer brooches are original Czech products, handmade by the creative Bára Vogeltanzová of Jelení Šperky [YELL-ennie SHPEAR-key] (or Deer Jewels, unfortunately, the page is unavailable in English, but you will definitely understand the international language of cute photos), and were given to me by awesome people. (And yes, I wore both deer at together recently.) The felt flowers were bought in the New Yorker store in Prague this summer, and the birdie, whom I call Mafalda, was also a gift, handmade by my adorable Spanish teacher.
Never wore brooches? Want to start? Read on!
You’re about to enter a club of impressive people.
Did you know that Madeleine Albright recently wrote a book about how she used her
brooches to communicate subtle messages during her diplomatic career? (It’s
called Read My Pins, and the hardback will soon adorn
my bookshelf.) Although Ms. Albright is an experienced (and oh, such a well-equipped)
brooch wearer, using a brooch to make a statement could be a good place to
start! (Think seasonal themes, for instance.)
What kind of brooch? Just because you’re a rookie
doesn’t mean you should start with subtle sizes and plain motifs. In fact, I
would advise the contrary: look for a brooch that matches your overall style
and taste, so that it can become part of your outfit no matter how big or gaudy
it is. There is an incredible variety of pins out there – from cosy and
colourful fabric pieces that you can purchase for two bob to exquisite
ornamental gems that could be passed down in your family.
How to wear it? A brooch’s standard place is
under your left shoulder, not too high and not too low (aim for about 5cm (2 in) under your collarbone). Of course,
you can get creative and use your brooch to close the top of an unbuttoned cardigan,
to fasten a silk scarf in place, on your hat and even on your socks, if you’re
feeling kinky. Brooches look great on cowl-necks and you can even wear a small
brooch on the rim of a turtleneck. Some people worry about ruining their
clothes with the pins, but this only happens if you don’t take your brooch out
after a day’s wearing.
What to wear it with and when? My only caution would be to carefully match your brooches with your outfits (in terms of colours and materials): just as a well-picked brooch will make any garment look exquisite, one whose aesthetic purpose hasn't been thought through will make your entire look appear out of place. However, because brooches are incredibly versatile, they can be worn with pretty much anything, on any occasion.
2 scrawls:
Congrats on keeping the art form of brooches alive. I don't think I've seen one in years, but I live in a strange demographic.
REALLY?!! That said, I only know a couple of people who wear them on a regular basis. And yet, brooches are really versatile and can be worn with anything. Even men wear them, you know! (Hint, hint, hehehe!)
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