A beautiful brooch is one of our favorite ways to go from desk to dinner because it adds a bit of glamour to even the most basic of outfits. Furthermore, the brooch can be a great investment because it can be used in so many ways — worn in your hair, used to secure a cardigan closed, worn at the waist of a “wrap” dress, or, of course, pinned to your lapel or the straps of the dress. Brooks Brothers has a number of pins on sale right now — we like this basic flower, but all are really cute. This one was $348, now 174, at Brooks Brothers. Pave Flower Pearl Pin
Tagged as:
brooches,
Brooks Brothers,
pins
{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
I have never been able to wear a brooch without aging myself at least ten years…not something I’m interested in!
Try stashing a pair of dangly, sparkly earrings in your purse, or a fun necklace (think costume jewelry that you’ll be ok with leaving in your purse or desk drawer ‘ just in case’ )
How do you wear a brooch in your hair? attach it to a headband?
Or if you have a ponytail holder in, pin it to the ponytail holder… or if you’re handy with bobby pins, run the bobby pins through the pin part to attach to your head until it’s secure…
no thanks
It has, um, potential ;-D
Beautiful but WAY WAY WAY more than I want to spend on a brooch that I may feel embarassed for trying and remove after 2 hours anyway! It doesn’t look much different than my $20 brooch bought years ago at Express or Limited or something.
Exactly what I was thinking — except I don’t have the $20 brooch. But who pays this for costume jewelry?
I think you can get cheaper but far more unique brooches at Met Museum gift shop / website. They’re modelled on antiques/jewellery that are within the museum so you can choose from various eras/places.
Mmm, I love museum gift shop jewelry. I still have a little gold Inca pendant (replica) I bought when I was 15. Still wear it.
Gorgeous.. but even if I were rich, I’m not sure I could spend that kind of $$ on a brooch.
Not crazy about this brooch (and too expensive!), but I have a bunch of brooches inherited from my grandmother (all costume, nothing worth $), which I’ve recently started using as “buttons” for some seaters that didn’t come with fasteners, to hold the two sides together (did that make any sense?).
I also have a bunch of brooches inherited from both my grandmothers and I love them! They add femininity to a business outfit without being too girly.
You lost me at $348, and I am still lost at $174.
Haha! Sums up my feelings perfectly.
Agree… For $348 there better be something with karats involved… or at least a USB drive ;-)
like the concept, dislike the price. also, does anyone feel like brooches are for older women? I’m mid-20′s, and I love them, but I’m reluctant to wear them because I feel like they’re just not for my age group.
If you love them, wear them. I’m way older than you but have been wearing the brooches I inherited from my grandmother (also costume and not worth any $) and have been receiving compliments on them for about as long as you’ve been alive.
KZ: wear them. Enjoy them. Make them your trademark. There are too many rules about who can wear what.
I’m also mid-20s, but I love a lot of “little old lady” trends on very young women – like some types of colorful tweedy jackets, broaches, etc. If you like it, go for it!
i think colorful, trendy brooches/flowers are ok, but classic brooches like the one feature above are way too old for a 20-year-old. you will have several decades where you will have to dress “older” to look appropriate for your age. dress young and trendy while you can!
In my 30s, and wouldn’t mind wearing a brooch , say at the shoulder of a black sheath, just to give it a shot. But would have to be a unique piece, not the one pictured above – which is too conventional for me. Lapel thing reminds me of politicians somehow.
Madeline Albright famously wore brooches. I’d be happy if I reminded people of her, all kindsa brains, speaks 6 languages, more influence than she knows what to do with…
oops, means to say 20-something-year-old. dress young and trendy while you are in your 20s and 30s.
hell, I’m 50, and I feel I’m not old enough to wear them
I think if you look young and trendy already, then you can wear them; but if you look old, then they will age you (I fall in the latter category, I believe). However, C/Kat looks great in her photos w/ a brooch (I’m not imagining those / misremembering, am I?). I couldn’t pull it off.
Even if you look young and trendy, brooches still age you… If its Madeline Albright’s signature look, and you’re a good 40 years younger than her… you either look older or like you’re playing dress up
I disagree. I’m 33. I look 33 with or without a flower brooch. I sincerely doubt anyone is looking at me thinking I’m either 43 or trying to look 43 because I’m wearing a brooch if the rest of the outfit is age-appropriate and current.
I agree Kat looks great … I don’t know that I would have done both a necklace (pearl or otherwise) and a brooch — somehow it seems that it should be one or the other, but maybe that’s just me.
I think so long as you don’t wear them with orthopedic shoes and a plastic kerchief you’re fine :).
I think it depends on how you wear it. If you’re a young woman no one is going to mistake you for a grandmother. I think they’re fun and unique, especially since so few women in our age group (also mid-twenties) wear them.
Hijack: Must register my disgust. Who steps out on Sandra Bullock? Really??
Sorry, I know this is not exactly a professional image issue. But geeze.
This is so not the place for this, but I just emerged from a 20 minute gossip website detour and can’t believe how much it bothered me. Apparently in the other woman’s account, she’s been talking about how he didn’t use protection. Infidelity happens, but jeopardizing your spouse’s health on top of it?? ughhhhhh
i know, that story has been fascinating me also — i really liked jesse james on the apprentice, and so it’s almost a double blow — what a scumbag.
I have several inherited brooches, and am always looking for more. I have worn them:
* nestled in my hair
* at the neckline of my LBD, which gives the appearance of a jeweled neckline
* at the waist of a dress
* at the cleavage of a fancy dress
* as decoration on a multi-strand of pearls
I am 28. Love brooches. Disagree immensely that they automatically age you — it’s all in how you wear it. Personally, I am a big fan of mix and match and so a modern look on a modern looking person with just a bit of vintage element thrown in, in a creative way, I think looks lovely and fresh. The opposite of dowdy or old!
With chunkier, wider across brooches, I like to use them in the back of long, loose cardigans to create a fitted effect. It’s figure flattering and gives your sweaters a nice detailed look.
AIMS: love this back-of-the-cardigan idea. Genius. Back when I lived in the Big Snow, a lot of us wore statement-y brooches on our heavy wool winter coats. I met a lady once, she had a fascinating clunky abstract metal one. I complimented her on it, she smiled a bit grimly and said, “I broke my leg once. This is what they used to hold it together.” Wow. Admirable. And fierce.
As a forty-something, I have to be careful with brooches, especially when I’m appearing in front of younger clients. It can have the “ages you quickly” look unless it’s done with just the right panache. But I wouldn’t pay $174 for costume jewelry like that. You can find nice costume jewelry for waaaaaay less.
I have a pearl circle pin that has great sentimental value. But there is no way I can wear it without looking as though I need to rock a poodle skirt and saddle shoes!
I turned one I had inherited into a pendant with minimal adjustments… A good jeweler can do great things for jewelry that has a lot of sentimental value, but little practical use
Agreed, I am early 40′s and love brooches, but tend to wear them in non-customary places because they can look old, or the can give a simple outfit some ‘punch’.
I look for funky, unique pins, nothing staid. I recently bought a grey/purple tweek flower with a tuft of black feather – just enough to be interesting but not distracying…from talbot’s and I think I paid $10…..
I’m with you. I’ve been hooked on little insect or animal pins lately– tiny diamonds or jewel studded, but I wear cheaper pins as well with some flair. I tend to wear very conservative suits and these little pins draw jsut the right amoutn of attention.
Classic/estate brooch like this one might be useful to a younger person seeking a little gravitas for her look?
I’ve seen a few women try it…honestly, they just wound up looking like they were even younger than they were, and playing dress up with their mother’s jewelry.
so disagree w/ those who say brooches are only for old women! while I may now be in that category, I’ve been wearing them since I was in my 20s. maybe we should call them PINS instead of brooches to make them sound less old-fashioned? In my youth, I wore little fun pins. I now wear more of the “brooch” style – some are from my great-grandmother, some fun 70s ones from my mom, and some are recent gifts/purchases. love the suggestions for alternative wear. also, w/ smaller pins, wear 2 or 3 together.
I’m a twenty-something, and I LOVE that brooch! I would not pay $174 for it though…$39.99 max! (and even that’s a stretch!)