Brooches – The Art Of Wearing A Vintage Brooch
How to wear a vintage brooch: on a silk scarf, a cardigan, a coat collar, a dress, a handbag, a hat or a lapel. There are no rules, and none is too big.
A vintage brooch usually sits in a jewellery box waiting for an occasion. For me that is a waste. A brooch does not belong only to fifty-year-old ladies, and it does not belong only on formal wear.
Start with a silk scarf. Where you pin the brooch is what matters. Put it slightly off-centre, near the neckline, and not dead in the middle. The silk is soft and the brooch is hard, and that contrast does the work. It can be a mid-century floral or a geometric design from the 1970s.
Cardigans
Why do we keep brooches for formal wear? Take a plain cashmere cardigan and add one bright vintage brooch. It stops being a basic. I have always loved the ones that start a conversation, with an unusual design or a story behind them. Brooches are a nice ice breaker too.
On a coat a brooch has a job to do as well. I pin one at the collar of my vintage fur coats and it holds the collar closed. Go bold here: coloured stones, or a gold-plated piece that catches the light against the fur.
The brooch in the photograph below is by Iradj Moini, a New York designer. I came across it in Pietrasanta, in Tuscany. The flowers are mother of pearl and the base is lemon quartz with amethyst and rhinestones. I was instantly attracted to it.
Dresses
Pin a brooch at the waist of a loose dress and it pulls the dress in like a belt, with more personality. You can also put one on the shoulder strap of a sleeveless dress, or at the neckline of a high collar. On evening wear I adore the mix of textures and colours. A simple black dress with one sparkling brooch needs nothing else.
Also, brooches look fabulous on bags too. Pin one to the corner of a leather or canvas tote, or to a structured evening clutch. Nobody else will have that exact combination.
I have also seen brooches worn on hats. Pin one to the brim of a felt hat or to a beret, and add oversized sunglasses.
The 1980s Yves Saint Laurent crescent in the photograph below is mine. I wear it with a silk dress.
Let’s not forget lapels
Brooches have been worn on lapels for centuries, and they belong there. One on a tailored blazer or a coat lapel is feminine and strong at the same time. It works at the office, where a big necklace or big earrings might not. And I am always about setting the trends, not buying into them. A brooch is one way to do it.
The best part about brooches? There are no rules.
You can wear them wherever and however you want. With jeans, on a cardigan, on your favourite silk scarf. A vintage brooch was worn by somebody before you, handed down in a family or left in a shop, and that is part of why I like them.
If you are new to brooches, start off buying cheap ones and build from there. Vintage shops have great collections. It must suit your personality. Try it on in the shop, and if it looks good then it belongs to you.
