Lipstick, Lettuce & Lycra

Vintage Brooches – The Animal Collection

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by

Retro Chick
in ,

I can’t resist a vintage brooch.

The advantage of a good vintage brooch is that they can often be picked up for mere pennies at boot fairs and charity shops, though sometimes they’re a little more expensive. Mim from Crinoline Robot wrote me a guest post with some great ways to wear vintage brooches back in 2011 while I was on holiday, so if you’re not sure how to wear them take a look.

I’ve been buying them every time I see them for years and have built up a small, but much loved collection. So I thought I’d share part of it with you.

I’ve got a bit of an obsession with animal brooches. Particularly anything brightly enamelled and crazy. They add some excitement to the most boring of outfits, though they’re too big for hats.

animal brooches

The parrot was the first I bought, it has a few diamantes missing, but that doesn’t bother me particularly as long as it’s not ALL the diamantes. I have no idea how much the parrot cost as I bought it in a scary antique shop from a woman who spoke no English while on holiday in Germany.

Next round to the right is a little red and gold enamel hummingbird I bought from a boot fair, and then a diamante lobster that was given to me by the owner of Step Back in Time, a vintage shop in Norwich.

At the bottom is my favourite lizard. He was a Christmas present this year from Mr Chick, and I completely ruined Christmas morning by getting it caught in some wrapping paper and managing to forcibly hurl it at the headboard of the bed. It’s pin broke off and I cried and sulked and felt guilty for a bit until I was bought more Christmas booze and then I calmed down. Shortly afterwards Mr Chick cleverly repaired it with some of that “fix anything” putty they sell by the tills in Homebase and a pot of gold paint. Hurrah!

The last in the picture is an Owl with aurora borealis diamantes that I bought at an antiques and vintage fair.

The other animal brooches I have are less flashy.

This gorgeous leaping wooden deer is 1930s. I have a matching photo frame I blogged about back in 2011.

deer

The last animal brooch is a pair of 1950s plastic scotty dogs and a dog house. I bought it in an antique shop in Hastings at Easter last year. If you follow the link you’ll see that it was attached to a small plastic loop, that sadly broke and the scotty dogs are now attached to the pin. It also had a friend, a tiny ladybird which by all rights should be in this post, but it appears to have done what all good ladybirds do and flown away home as I couldn’t find it when I came to take these pictures. I’m sure it’ll turn up soon.

scotty

I have more, that I might share in the future, including selections I call “The Bling” and “The Weird Ones”

Are you a lover of brooches? How do you wear them?

Comments

20 responses to “Vintage Brooches – The Animal Collection”

  1. Fi Phillips avatar
    Fi Phillips

    Lovely brooches, especially the hummingbird and the lizard. I inherited a lot of diamante brooches from my mum and aunt. I don’t wear them very often but when I do it tends to be on plain black dresses. Thanks for sharing your collection.

  2. Mim McDonald avatar
    Mim McDonald

    I love that lobster – very 30s surreal in feel.

    I’m still addicted to brooches. They’re so easy to buy and wear. Of late I’ve been getting more midcentury brooch and earring sets; they’re inexpensive on Etsy and really cheer up a dull working day.

  3. Jessica Cangiano avatar
    Jessica Cangiano

    What a splendid collection of vintage animal brooches! I too am a huge lover of these classic accessories, running the gauntlet as they may from quirky to cute to wildly elegant, and enjoy picking them up on my thrifting, yard saling, and online vintage shopping excursions, too.

    ♥ Jessica

  4. Mabel avatar
    Mabel

    Your brooches are pretty awesome! I’m not clever enough in incorporate brooches into my wardrobe, but my grandmother always had the fashion sense to wear them right.

  5. LandGirl1980l avatar
    LandGirl1980l

    I am still so very envious of your deer. And now your owl. *weeps and plans theft*

  6. Amy avatar
    Amy

    My friend has a similar obsession for animal brooches, but she never wears them, just looks after them lovingly! I think your parrot might be a toucan 🙂

    1. Gemma avatar
      Gemma

      Ah yes, a toucan! I never really thought about it that much! Thank you!

  7. acsilver avatar
    acsilver

    I have a similar obsession, and it seems many other do as we sell brooches very quickly , especially animal items. This little brooch sold a while ago but thought you may like to see it http://www.acsilver.co.uk/shop/pc/SOLD-Sterling-Silver-Dolphin-Brooch-by-Georg-Jensen-Vintage-1976-251p4417.htm