You no longer pin a brooch on your lapel and hope for the best. There are many ways to style a brooch these days, taking your look from something basic and boring to utterly fabulous. If you happened to inherit a box full of your Granny’s brooches or spotted some that caught your eye in a thrift shop but aren’t sure what to do with them, you’re in luck; here are some of the best ways to style those brooches with real flair:
Bunch Them Up
You aren’t limited to wearing a single brooch; bunch a few together on your lapel. This makes a statement and boosts your jacket to the next level. Don’t bunch them randomly, though. Pick those with similar colors, motifs, or stones to make it look truly intentional.
Pin It on a Bag
In the same way, you might tie a scarf on your bag, you can pin a brooch or two on it too. That way, you can pep up your outfit without having to add a brooch to your clothing. If you have a cloth bag, you can just pin the brooch right on it. If not, use a chunkier brooch and fit the clasp around your bag strap.
Pin It on Your Jacket
Choose a brooch that stands out from your jacket and pin it right on the lapel. Alternatively, you can pin it on the upper bodice part of the jacket, about halfway between the opening and the shoulder. You can get away with adding weightier brooches here because jackets are usually made from more substantial materials.
Add It to Your Hat
Brooches look wonderful on hats and caps, and it doesn’t matter what type it is. Whether it’s a ball cap, beret, sun hat, beanie, or any other type of hat, adding a brooch gives it a lot of style.
Wear It in Your Hair
There’s nothing to say that you have to wear a brooch on your clothing. The right type of brooch can work really well as a hair accessory. Hair ornaments are trendy right now, and a brooch fits the bill perfectly. Add a brooch to the hair band if you like to wear your hair in a ponytail. Add the brooch to a large pin or hair clip if you prefer to wear it in a bun.
Wear It on Your Sweater
You aren’t limited to jackets; you can also add brooches to your sweaters. This offers a benefit over pinning them to other clothes; you can work the pin through the sweater fibers so that it doesn’t put holes in it. Make sure you don’t try to push it through too much material, or you’ll end up with a bunched-up look.
Pin It on a Dress
Simple, solid-colored dresses can look great with a brooch pinned on the top left side. Try not to add brooches to patterned clothing, as you’ll lose the effect of the brooch. If you are off to a party and you wear a little black dress, you could add a brightly colored brooch. Example of this is Natalie Portman's gorgeous dress with brooch attached.
Add Matching Brooches to Collars
If you wear a shirt or a top with collars, you can add a matching brooch to each collar. This brings your neckline under the spotlight and adds style to your shirt. Don’t go overboard, though. Stick to plain, understated brooches; trust me, they’ll make more of a splash!
Secure Your Scarf
Brooches can also be used to hold your scarf together around your neck. Wrap your scarf as you want it, and pin the brooch in the center at the front to make a real fashion statement.
Use One as a Choker
You can pin a brooch to a short necklace, thin scarf, or piece of fabric that goes around your neck. Keep the clasp closed and slide the material or chain through the back of it. Put the necklace or scarf on, fasten it, and make sure the brooch is dead center at the front.
Pin It on Your Cuffs
You can add embellishment to your shirt or coat cuffs; simply use one or two brooches for a bold statement. You can use smaller ones on each cuff to look like cufflinks or choose bigger, bolder brooches for an eye-catching look.
Make Your Jeans Look Glamorous
Jeans can look quite boring at times, but you can use brooches to add a touch of glamour. There’s no hard and fast rule on how to do this; simply choose your brooches and go crazy. They look especially good when you use small ones on the back pockets to look like buttons or larger ones around the waist, but the only limit is your own creativity.
Add It to Your Other Jewelry
Got a plain ring? Glamorize it by pinning a small brooch clasp around it. Do the same with a plain bracelet or necklace, or go the whole hog and make yourself a matching set of jewelry for those special occasions.
Brooches are fun pieces of jewelry that you can use for just about anything. So, go mad; glamorize your entire wardrobe and make yourself stand out from the crowd.
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