January 2005 Trend Spotting Pin Ups Brooches continue to show up in interesting and unusual places by Liz Smutko Talk about a blast from the past – brooches, liberated from the depths of grandma’s jewelry box, are still holding strong in fashion, from adorning evening wear to adding sparkle to a jeans jacket. An offshoot of the return to ladylike dressing that’s taken hold over the past couple of years, brooches are being used in non-traditional ways, including as hair clips and in place of clasps on handbags. Media such as The New York Times, In Style, Lucky, Harper’s Bazaar and Style.com heralded the brooch as a must-have jewelry item. Pin it Down Don’t let this fashion moment pass you by, ceding the market to department stores or apparel and accessories retailers. Brooches are a natural sale to women who are increasingly buying their own jewelry. For a married woman with children, stress that a fine brooch bears the promise of becoming an heirloom that future generations will cherish. For single women, a brooch set with diamonds, for example, carries none of the emotional baggage or confusing messages that a diamond ring might. Actress Joely Richardson’s diamond brooch by Neil Lane is strategically placed above the high slit on her Catherine Walker dress at the 2004 Emmy Awards Demonstrating her flair for ornamentation, actress Gwyneth Paltrow accents her up-do with a platinum and diamond hairclip by Neil Lane at the premiere of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Taking the tagline from her Gap ads – “How do you wear it?” – quite seriously, actress Sarah Jessica Parker shows two ways to wear her Fred Leighton brooch. Traditionally on the bodice of her dress at 2004 Fall Fashion Week festivities and on her waist at the 2004 Emmy Awards.