Brooches: How to wear them

          

I always love to wear a little something sparkly to catch the eye--which is why brooches are PERFECT!  You can do the modern or modern/combined with vintage look, like in the picture to the left, or a totally vintage look with the brooch on the right.  So how do you wear one?

1) Use it to pin a bunch of necklaces/chains together

-you can pin it right in the middle, on the end, on the side, or even pin it to the necklace and your shirt at the same time if it's a really big brooch you don't want to wobble

-tip: buy a bunch of cheap chains from places like forever 21, h&m, street stands, kohls, target, and wherever else you can think of.  Don't buy all the same design/texture/material chains, definitely mix it up!  Vintage brooches and pearls go great together too.

2) Pin them to a blazer

-everybody these days are wearing blazers.  Blazers are fabulous, but make yours stand out with one AWESOME brooch, or multiple brooches!  Rhinestoned/gemstoned brooches go great against the plain backdrop of a blazer

3) Pin them to a scarf/shawl

-functionality combined with fashion, my favorite!  Use brooches to hold a scarf or shawl in place.  Whenever I want that "I ran out of the house with a scarf and just threw it over my shoulder look" it inevitably ends up falling off my shoulder and I have to keep adjusting it, making me look like I deliberately tried to go for that look (which I did, but shh).  Use a brooch to secure the shawl and put a signature on your look!

tip: use a small brooch or safety pin if you really want that "just ran out of the house" look

4) Pin them to hats or bags

-Fedoras and beanies are perfect for this.  Put one or multiple brooches on them to jazz them up.  Another way to wear it is on a big straw/floppy hat (the kind you wear to the beach in the Hamptons to keep the sun out of your face)--tie a big white sash around the hat and pin the brooch at the knot where the sash is tied.  For bags, you can pin brooches all over a small clutch or pin them on to the strap of a bag

tip: Please make sure your hat/bag isn't very sparkly or has a lot of hardware or some other focal point.  The brooch will clash pretty badly then.

5) Pin them to a headband or hair tie

-I have seen so many headbands and hair ties that have some sort of rhinestoned applique that cost a FORTUNE.  Pin your brooch to the headband or hair tie for the same exact effect.

6) Pin them on the point of the "V" on a V-neck shirt

-like they did in the old days!  Do this for a truly vintage feel.  Draws the eyes to the cleavage too, without the trashy feel.  After all, isn't that what part fashion is about anyways?  Attracting? ;)

WARNING: Please don't overdo it.  If you have a brooch in one of these places, lay off a brooch in another place.  If you are already wearing something very sparkly or if you are wearing costume jewelry, you may want to lay off the brooch.  Too many focal points may seem flashy/tacky.

Be creative guys!  There are some really good finds on ebay for brooches, and definitely visit your local thrift store/vintage shop/cheaper stores.  You would be surprised what you can find in places like etsy.com, TJ Maxx, Target, Kohls, Marshalls, etc.  Good Luck! :)