It's been a while but brooches have finally shaken off their stuffy connotations and are making a comeback.
The reason behind the resurgance? Hot, young London Fashion Week designers like Christopher Kane, sending them down the catwalks.
Since then, celebrities have been pinning them to their shirt collars (like Denise Van Outen below), off-duty models have been nestling them in their messy up-dos, and bloggers are adorning their bags and belts with them.
Of course the royals never stopped wearing brooches. The royal trend that passes down through generations, adding a brooch to an outfit for an offical engagement or an overseas tour is a fashion trick that has spanned from the Queen to Camilla, and on to the Duchess of Cambridge.
Duchess Catherine during their 2011 tour of North America (Credit: Getty)
This pretty 11-point maple leaf brooch belongs to the Queen, and was owned by the Queen’s mother before that. It has been a regular feature of royal Canada tour wardrobes ever since.
Queen Elizabeth II wearing the same brooch (Credit: Getty)
Queen Elizabeth’s Canadian Maple-leaf brooch was created by Asprey & Co London in 1939. The brooch was given to the Queen by George VI, to mark their State Visit to Canada that same year.
Credit: Getty
It was then loaned to The Queen (when she was still Princess Elizabeth) for her first visit to Canada in 1951.
A family of traditions, the Queen later sentimentally loaned the maple leaf brooch to The Duchess of Cambridge, when she first visited Canada with Prince William in 2011. The official overseas trip was Kate’s very first royal tour after marrying Prince William in April of that year.
Besides the royal obsession with ornate brooches, or this accessory’s innate ability to complete a look, we also love that a brooch is a truly ageless piece. As demonstrated by the timeless maple leaf brooch cherished by the royal family, it doesn’t matter whether you’re 21 or 75, it’s a chic way to finish an outfit.
So, whether you like vintage or contemporary styles – there’s a pin for everyone. On board? Here’s our edit of the best way to incorporate brooches into your wardrobe…
3 ways to wear brooches and pins
1. Position them to emphasise a detail
As the royal family knows, brooches are a great way of drawing attention to an interesting design detail. But they’re also a great way to create the illusion of an interesting design detail. Pin a brooch to the collar or cuff of a plain shirt and suddenly your outfit feels more high-end than high street.
Look for styles that are asymmetric because they’ll be more versatile. This Susan Caplan vintage pin, will look just a divine placed horizontally along a pocket opening as it would vertically on a collar.
SHOP NOW: Brooch, £75, John Lewis
2. Place them in clusters
Wearing a cluster of brooches or pins is probably the most fashionable way to wear the accessory at the moment. Placing 3-7 brooches together (odd numbers look best) is a simple yet effective way of glitzing up an eveyday winter outfit.
Butler & Wilson is your go-to brand here, they’re not too expensive so you can afford to buy multiples for mixing and matching. Lined up they look sharp and chic, placed haphazardly they look eclectic and cool. Try them along a pocket edge or pepper the brim of your hat.
SHOP NOW: £20, Butler & Wilson
3. Put them in unexpected places
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Whoever said wearing a brooch has to be limited to your chest? Wearing one as a hairpiece (by pinning it onto a ponytail or into an updo) makes for an elegant and unique look. Or think outside the box and pin them to your shoes and bags.
Tempted to roadtest this trend? Try a bold, shape like a bee. It will look just as lovely peeking from a chignon as it would winking from the front of a pair of black pumps. Just make sure you secure them tightly!
