Feminine, colorful and funky are making their way back to the runways this fall! The new accessory of choice for girls is the brooch-your great-grandmother probably wore them, albeit more severely than you will.
They come in every shape, size, design and stone configuration you can imagine. They are made of glass, beads, stones or even semi-precious stones. The semi-precious stone brooches can run up to nearly $1000 at Neiman Marcus ($990 will buy a Stephen Dweck carved brooch faceted topaz, garnet, and naturally-dyed plum mother-of-pearl center with carved floral motif. This one is made of bronze, has an engraved back, a pin clasp, and is 2 1/8" round). Unless you're Paris Hilton, you may want to look through a yard sale first.
If you're not lucky enough to find a treasure at your local garage sale or an estate sale, then you will need to comb your local boutiques and thrift stores for good prices. Cute, funky pieces can start at as little as $15 brand new.
At the department stores, they'll be more expensive, but the good news is you can also buy a lot of these babies online. Hunting for unique pieces may be your passion, and if so, the sky is the limit.
A popular design is the dragonfly, and you can buy one large dragonfly-depending on the stones-for about $29, or a cluster of little ones in the area of $35.
And how to wear them? Sarah Jessica Parker wears three next to her ribcage in a GAP ad and Vogue suggests "at least two at a time." Turn them into belt buckles, place one on your hip, or use it to keep your poncho closed; your choice. Or put a cluster of them on your chest.
If you wear semi-precious, expensive brooches, you may want to stick to the classic way of wearing them; on the chest and one at a time. Just look at the browning old family photos your mom has buried in the attic somewhere-your great-grandmother looked stunning, didn't she? Well, now you will you too.
