Everybody knows estate and vintage jewelry is all the rage, and if you’ve browsed enough of it, you’ve seen enough pins and brooches to know that they were hot commodities back in the day. Check out old pictures of your Grandma; there’s probably a brooch pinned to her upper breast. That stodgy style may be out, but vintage jewelry never is, so modern fashionistas have been creative in finding new ways to wear old pins. Next time you shop for jewelry in the DC area and find a brooch you love, try wearing it one of these ways:
Higher: Meaning closer to or even on the shoulder.
Clustered: Start at the upper breast, and group several pins together moving up toward the shoulder, down the side, or around a collar line.
On the collar: Of either a blouse or coat.
As a clasp: Want to reduce the flow of today’s flowy blouses and sweaters? Use a brooch to close or tighten the fabric. Also works well to hold a dress tighter in the back, or to clasp a shawl.
On an infinity scarf: Those scarves are so in that nothing can make them out; see what we did there?
Around your neck: There are brooch converter chains that can turn any brooch into a necklace, or use a brooch to gather several chains or strands of beads together.
On your pocketbook: What better way to jazz up an old bag than with and old pin? (See what we did there again?)
At Loudoun Jewelry on Maple Avenue, we’re always sourcing jewelry, including from estate collections, which means we always have a variety of unusual pins and brooches. Now that you know how to wear them, why not come in and browse?