Posted on: Saturday, October 16, 2004

Fall fashion tip ... do the brooch thing

By Catherine Mallette
Knight Ridder News Service

This fall's mantra is "more is more." This is no time for minimalism. Even if you're thinking jeans and a turtleneck or a little black dress, clothes look freshest with girlie-girl touches of bows and brooches.

Yes, brooches are back. And they're back in a big way, with loads of crystals and bursts of bright color. Heap on the uber-feminine touches — just balance them with structured fabrics, sophisticated lines or comfy old jeans.

How to wear a bow without looking like a schoolgirl:

• Wear the bow in an unexpected place, like the toe of a sophisticated pump.

• Look for functional bows that substitute for buttons on well-structured boucle and houndstooth jackets.

• Pin a bejeweled, bow-shaped brooch onto your favorite bag.

How to wear brooches without looking like a schoolmarm:

• Pile them up, three or five together, on the lapel of a jacket or just below the shoulder of a poncho.

• Mix antique, one-of-a-kind brooches with sparkly new crystal brooches in modern shapes.

• Wear them on a purse, a belt or a shoe, or in your hair.

• Wear them at the hip.

• Boldly mix colors.

• For evening, put one at the top of a slit in a gown.

• Wear ladylike brooches with faded jeans.