Posts with tag brooch

Michelle Obama may be surrounded by the wives of world leaders at the G8 L'Aquila Summit in Italy, but the First Lady manages to stand out, style-wise, in her summery ensemble!

To visit the ruins at Palazzo del Governo today (July 9), Mrs. O opted for a yellow and white floral Liz Claiborne cardigan (she loves her cardis) over a simple yellow tank, which she paired with J. Crew's "Gâteau" cotton sateen skirt. (The trendy tiered piece is already sold out!).

Clearly going by the expression "When in Rome," Mrs. O fastened her cardigan with a beaded brooch by Italian fashion house Moschino.

Mixing American designers with Italian accessories -- the First Lady proves she knows a thing or two about diplomacy!

The adorable accessories from Feel Fuzzy have us doing just that -- cute brooches made from old jigsaw puzzles and wallets crafted from vintage tea towels and children's books make us nostalgic for when times were simpler. We caught up with designer Debi Jack to see what inspires her childlike whimsy.

If you get as excited about Halloween as we do, we bet you'll love these handmade felt skullies from the tiny little girl. Available as hairclips, brooches, pin cushions and more, we think these adorable skeletons have arrived all the way from Western Australia just in time!

Thank you, MItzi Gaynor, for showing these kids how it's done.

The clutch is the bag to clutch these days, and if celebrities are any way to judge a trend, the vintagey-style Cecelia clutch is the one to want.

Cecelia was created in 2004 by Hillary Lammens, and the line includes clutches, belts and brooches, which can be worn on their own, or used to dress up the bags.

The bags are the big deal of the line. Lammens uses luxury materials like crocodile, stingray, snakeskin and our favorite white suede to create dressy, shimmery bags that work for an evening out, especially when you add a brooch to embellish. The simple designs can also work in the daytime, without making you look like you're doing the walk of shame from last night's party to today's lunch.

Like we said, celebrities love this line. In the gallery, some of Cecelia's fans, like Gossip Girl's Jessica Szohr, Debra Messing, and Kourtney Kardashian, show you how they wear these pretty clutches.

In the wake of what many are calling a snooze of a NY fashion week, it seems that many designers have seized upon London Fashion Week as an opportunity to branch out, try something outrageous, or even try to drum up support for their favorite candidate. Though London seems like an unlikely place to appeal to American voters, that didn't stop Nicole Farhi from replacing the traditional brooch with a "Obama '08" campaign pin.

While the French designer is not a registered voter in the US, she's managed to work her way into what has to be the most intensely fashion-oriented campaign in decades. It seems like a candidate's fashion choices have become an important dimension for many sartorially-inclined voters. Obama is good-looking, McCain wears expensive shoes, Biden is a snazzy dresser, Palin is bringing back the sexy librarian look -- that stuff's important, right?

We're pretty sure that we've never seen this level of wearable propaganda in either depth or breadth. Whether its shoes, boxer briefs, thongs, glasses or hairstyles there seems to be a way to express your partisan ideology with it.

[via StyleFile]

You know, people often underestimate the value of a good brooch. Sure, vintage is fine and good, but there's nothing wrong with finding a brand new pin that suits your style. Of course, you can pin it on the lapel of your coat and forget about it, or you can get creative and really make your pin a signature piece.

If you use a pin like this Faux-topaz Star Pin, $65 at J.Crew, you can wear it in a million different ways. Try it on the waist of a wrap shirt or dress. Pin a scarf or wrap in place with it. Put it on a hat, or, if your hair is particularly "done", work it into your 'do.

Ever wondered what the big deal about brooches is? Pick up a copy of jewelry historian Lori Ellinger Gross' Brooches: Timeless Adornment to learn the history behind these regal pins.

Also included are tips from top stylists, how to guides, and a look at dozens of fantastic vintage and modern brooches. It's the perfect easy summer read that will teach you a thing or two with the added bonus of learning how to incorporate something so elegant into your own wardrobe. It's also a great gift for any fashionista or brooch collector.

Check out some pretty sweet brooches at Swarovski to start a collection of your own.

You know that tank top or tee that's in your closet -- the one that's a pretty color, but just kind of plain? You probably try to liven it up with necklaces or by layering it with other tops, and that's great. However, don't underestimate the power of a really pretty brooch.

On a tank, if the straps are the right width, you can scrunch up one side and close the brooch around it to give your neckline a bit of an asymmetrical feel. Or, if you have a V neck tee, place the brooch at the bottom of the V to add some punch.

Occasionally a lucky girl will stumble upon a happy piece of fabulous vintage jewelry. It might be a gift or something she found in a little shop -- either way, it's sure to be unique, and while it might not exemplify her day-to-day style, she's still drawn to it.

Then, said girl brings home the bauble only to realize, "Hey, I have nothing with which to wear this!" and then it sits in her jewelry box until it's really vintage.

Fantastic jewelry wants to be worn. It needs to be worn. Leaving an extraordinary piece all locked up is just cruel. If you are guilty of such cruelty (I know, you didn't mean it, you just didn't know what to do), here is my advice:

Inevitably, we all want to look amazing for our co-workers at least once a year, and there's no better occasion to "wow" our friends than the annual office holiday bash. But what is appropriate to wear? So many women have asked me this exact question in the past couple of years, and believe it or not, there is a fairly simple answer. So when in doubt, follow these few rules for easy holiday gorgeousness.

1) Buy a dress! I have nothing against skirt and top combos, but seriously, you have two separate pieces to deal with, and then once you add shoes, jewelry, and a jacket -- too many decisions! Stick with a dress, and you'll cut your stress in half.

2) Unless your invitation says "black-tie formal", a knee-length or just below knee-length dress is always appropriate. Look for richer fabrics such as velvet, silk, or stretch satin. Chiffon and lighter fabrics can work as long as they are in season-appropriate colors (think dark, saturated hues).

3) Sleeve length is totally up to you. You can go as bare as strapless, or as covered as full-length sleeves. As long as you like the dress and feel comfortable, you are going to look fabulous in any type of sleeve.

4) Bring a long coat, preferably in a black or in a print that picks up on the color of your dress. If you don't have a coat or would rather wear an item you don't have to check at the door, try a wrap. Wraps come in cashmere, silk, fur (real and faux), velvet, and just about any other fabric combo you could imagine. The best thing about wraps is that they can be twisted and pinned (with a pretty brooch) in limitless combinations. You can disguise almost all "lumps and bumps" with a cleverly placed wrap.

5) Sheer black or nude hose (Hanes' "Barely Black" are foolproof) work with almost any type of dress. If you want to be a little more daring, or are wearing a shorter dress, opaque tights can be a trendy look, but beware, as any opaque stocking tends to dress down a cocktail look.

6) You can wear open or closed-toed shoes with your cocktail dress. If you go with an open-toed option, make sure that your hosiery are made without the telling toe seam.

7) Try to match your necklace to the neckline of your dress. For example, if you are wearing a deep-v neckline, try a necklace with a simple drop. This ensures that you flatter (but don't take away from) your dress.

8) Have fun! Confidence is universally beautiful. Have fun and know you look great, because you do!