A brooch is worn high and slightly off center: on the left lapel of a blazer, at the shoulder of a dress, at the neck of a knit, or closed through a chain and worn as a necklace. That is the whole rule. Everything below is detail, worked out with the flower and pearl brooches we make in wire.
Late afternoon, a wool coat on the back of a chair. A camellia in silver-plated wire, 7 cm across, pinned where the collar meets the shoulder. The wire petals stand a little proud of the cloth, and when the coat is lifted they catch the window.
Where does a brooch go on a blazer?
On a blazer, a brooch goes on the lapel, about a third of the way down from the notch, on the side a boutonnière would sit: the left, from the wearer's point of view. Pin through the lapel only, not the front of the jacket, so the fabric can still move. A brooch 4–7 cm across suits a standard lapel. The Pearl Blossom Brooch at 4.2 cm sits neatly on a narrow one, while the Camellia Brooch at 7 cm wants a wider lapel or an unstructured jacket. Two small brooches, one above the other, also work; two large ones fight.
How do you wear a brooch on a dress?
On a dress, pin the brooch at the shoulder, at the point of a V-neck, or at the waist where a belt would sit; avoid the center of the chest unless the neckline is high and plain. Weight matters more here than on a jacket. Wire brooches are light, but fine silk and jersey will still pull, so pin through a seam, a facing or a lining if the fabric is thin. Heavier cotton, linen and knit take a brooch anywhere. A long stem like the Silver Calla Brooch (4 × 7.4 cm) follows a neckline or a shoulder seam; a round bloom like the Twin Flower Brooch reads well at the waist.
Can you wear a brooch on a knit or a coat?
Yes, and wool is the easiest fabric of all: the pin slides between the fibers without leaving a hole. Pin at the neck of a crewneck, on one side of a cardigan just below the collarbone, or on the upturned collar of a coat. Wire brooches sit most securely on a firm knit; on a loose, open gauge the pin can shift, so fasten it through two layers where the collar folds.
How do you wear a brooch as a necklace?
To wear a brooch as a necklace, close the pin through a link of a chain, or through a loop of ribbon or cord, and let the brooch hang at the center; a fine chain of 45–50 cm puts it at the collarbone. Open, airy shapes hang straightest. Pinning the brooch onto a scarf knot or the front of a collar band gives the effect of a pendant without a chain. The Ginkgo Brooch, 4.8 × 6.3 cm with a palladium-plated branch, hangs point-down from a link and turns as the wearer moves. Check that the pin is fully closed before letting go of it.
Which brooch for which fabric?
Match the brooch to the weight of the cloth. Thick wool, tweed and denim take anything up to the largest we make, the 5.5 × 8.8 cm Olive Calla Brooch. Mid-weight cotton and linen take 4–7 cm pieces. Fine silk, jersey and lace want the smallest, or a brooch pinned through a lining. Pearls and cubic zirconia read at a distance; colored wire in olive or blue reads close up, against a plain ground.
How do you keep a brooch from damaging clothes?
Pin through the fabric once, following the grain, and remove it the same way. Do not leave a brooch on a garment that is going in the wash or to the cleaner. Store the brooch flat in its box; a wire brooch left loose in a drawer will catch on whatever is next to it. Plating wears with friction, so avoid pinning through a bag strap where it will rub all day. See care.
The coat goes on. The camellia rides at the shoulder, where a hand rests when the collar is pulled up. Browse all flower and pearl brooches.