The brooch is back, but did it ever really leave the South?
Fashion publications worldwide are reporting on the resurgence of the brooch, seen everywhere from runway shows to the red carpet.
But LSU Textile & Costume Museum Director, Dr. Michael Mamp, explains that he is not sure if they ever lost popularity. “Well-dressed ladies, especially here in the South, have always remained loyal to the brooch,” he says. “Brooches have served functional, political, personal and decorative purposes across time.”
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“The Versatility of the brooch is immeasurable.” – Dr. Michael Mamp
Mamp explains that brooches have been part of fashion for millennia, with ancient Egyptians using them as decorative fasteners to secure draped garments, often featuring cultural symbols meant to protect against evil spirits.
“During the French Revolution in the late 18th century, political alliances were fashionably visible through the use of cockades (circular adornments made of ribbons in revolutionary red, white and blue or royalist white), often affixed in a brooch-like manner to a garment or headdress,” Mamp writes of the interesting history of the accessory. “In the mid-to-late nineteenth century, Victorians embraced mourning brooches after the death of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, as the queen adopted modes of dress and adornment to express her deep grief. These brooches often contained a locket of a deceased loved one’s hair or were actually braided from the hair of a lost love or family member.”
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“In the early twentieth century, with the advent of costume jewelry, spurred in part by Chanel’s pioneering efforts, women added brooches to their wardrobes, making it possible to freshen a look with different accessories.”- Dr. Michael Mamp
And in more recent history, many women have passed down brooches from their mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers. Accessories like the brooch have the power to elevate many pieces in a closet, adding interest and character to even the simplest outfit.
“I love the brooch and own several in my wardrobe,” Mamp notes. “My favorite thing to do on a velvet blazer is to assemble an array of antique cameo brooches passed down from my mother-in-law on the lapel. Brooches are for everyone.”
If you are in search of a brooch of your own, Mamp recommends looking for unique finds on eBay and Etsy. “My favorite, aside from antique cameo brooches, are those designed by Joan Rivers and Nolan Miller. Also, for the true vintage fashion collector, the work of Miriam Haskell from the 1930s until about 1950 is truly unique.”
