How to Wear a Brooch: 7 Styling Tips for Wearing Brooches

A brooch is a decorative pin that fastens onto a piece of clothing. The garment you pin the brooch to supports the weight of the brooch. Brooches feature precious stones—such as amethyst, emeralds, and sapphires—or vibrant colors and elaborate designs in materials like enamel and metal.

Dating back to the Bronze Age, the brooch was initially known as a fibula. Early forms of brooches served a functional purpose. For example, brooches were not ornamental pins during the Roman Empire but acted as fasteners for thick garments, including tunics and cloaks. Today, brooches are jewelry made with colorful motifs or gemstones worn to dress up an outfit.

Brooches come in many designs and serve different purposes—some common styles of brooches include:

1. 1. Cameo brooch: Known for its distinct style and construction, cameo brooches feature mother of pearl, seashells, or agate and depict the silhouette of a figure set in an oval or round stone.
2. 2. Dress clip: During the 1920s, modified brooches, known as dress clips, became a popular clothing accessory. Dress clips feature a clip that fastens onto the edge of a garment. You can clasp one of these vintage brooches onto the neckline of a dress or sweater to add a pop of color to your outfit.
3. 3. Enamel brooch: Vibrant and colorful, enamel brooches fuse glass with metal, creating rich color palettes. Due to the crafting process, enamel brooches have a glossy, smooth finish. Enamel brooches also employ naturalistic designs, incorporating flowers, leaves, and animals into the pin.
4. 4. En tremblant brooch: Known for its unique design, the en tremblant brooch is a French style of jewelry made with a trembler in the center of the brooch. This piece acts as a spring, so the brooch gently moves with the wearer. En tremblant brooches often showcase bright floral designs that capture the natural light.
5. 5. Mourning brooch: Popular in the Victorian era, the morning brooch was a pin designed to honor and remember a loved one. These antique brooches may feature the deceased's initials, a lock of their hair, or an inscription engraved on the setting.
6. 6. Portrait brooch: These brooches contain small painted pictures of loved ones. While these brooches have sentimental value, they also function as a safety pin, securing scarves and coats.

Brooches are a versatile accessory you can pair with different garments.

1. 1. Attach to a sweater. Place a brooch beneath the collarbone of a sweater to add a touch of elegance to your outfit. When pinning your brooch on your sweater, avoid gathering too much fabric—this can cause the knitted material to bunch up and look knotted.
   
2. 2. Clip to a dress. Embellish a simple dress by adding a brooch to the upper left side of your garment. Brooches work best with a solid-colored dress, as fabrics with intricate patterns can hide the brooch. Consider pairing a floral brooch with a little black dress to accessorize your outfit.
   
3. 3. Pin matching brooches on a shirt collar. Pin matching brooches to the collar to dress up a classic button-down shirt. This is a simple way to highlight your neckline and embellish your blouse; pair sterling silver pins with brooches featuring sparkly rhinestones on a classic button-down.
4. 4. Secure a scarf. Use a brooch as a button to hold your scarf in place. Wrap the scarf around your neck, pinning your brooch front and center to secure your scarf and create a bold fashion statement.
5. 5. Style on a jacket. Wear a brooch on the lapel of a jacket to draw attention to your coat. You can add a brooch to a wool coat, blazer, denim jacket, or cardigan. If your jacket has a breast pocket, pin the brooch on the pocket.
6. 6. Turn a brooch into a choker necklace. Using a thin scarf or short necklace chain, turn your brooch pin into a choker. Close the pin, slip the scarf or chain through the back of the brooch, tie the necklace around your neck with the pin in the center, and wear your brooch as a piece of jewelry.
7. 7. Wear it as a hair accessory. For formal occasions, consider wearing a brooch as a hairpin. Secure a brooch in an updo, such as a chignon or French twist, or use it as a hair clip for a half-up, half-down look.

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