As your vintage jewelry collection grows fewer pieces get to see the light of day because there are only so many pieces of jewelry a girl can wear at the same time. A huge problem collectors find with the pieces they buy is that there are not very many practical ways to wear them.
Most vintage costume earrings for example are clip ons, so there is always the worry that they will fall off. Vintage brooches and pins are great to look at, but not always the most practical piece to wear. Some necklaces have too much bling for a single neck. Don’t let any of these reasons stop you from collecting and wearing vintage costume jewelry.
Instead try new ways to wear the pieces that you already have and get twice the bang for your buck.
New Ways to Wear Brooches and Pins
Move the brooch from your shoulder and expand its use to the rest of your wardrobe. A great website for buying and finding new ways to wear vintage jewelry is Nutmeg Nine, and they sell the best little pendant converter for five dollars. Add the converter to your favorite brooch or pin and voila! you have a new pendant to string on a necklace.
Add a little sparkle to your hairdo three different ways. To glam up a ponytail add your pin to a plain black ponytail elastic and tie up your hair as you normally would. If you put your hair up in a bun or French twist attach the brooch or pin to a hair comb or large clip with jewelry wire and secure comb your hair. Even if you want to wear your hair down you can add a pretty brooch. Attach the brooch off to the side on an elastic headband or a cloth band.
Other ways to add brooches to your outfit are pinning them on a satin belt, a purse, in the vee of a shirt or dress and pinning them on a cloth bracelet.
New Ways to Wear Vintage Earrings
The fact that most vintage earrings are clip-ons makes them a lot more versatile in terms of using them in other parts of your wardrobe. Sparkly earrings can be used in many of the same ways that I described for brooches; pinned in the hair, as a pendant, or attached to a belt. Some new ways to wear a pair of vintage earrings includes adding them to the straps of a tank top or attached to the straps of a pair of flip flops.
To attach to your tank hook the clip of the earring around the strap and close off the earring screw so that it cannot fall off. Use this same technique to add your earrings to a plain pair of flip flops, attach them to the top of the band and you have an instant pair of jeweled footwear.
New Ways to Wear Vintage Necklaces
Vintage necklaces probably get the most use since they never go out of style and you can pile them on with just about anything. But if you are still looking for new ways to wear them try some of these ideas.
For those long vintage necklaces with rows of rhinestones try adding them to an updo using bobby pins. Try attaching the ends of your necklaces to a chain or cloth belt you already own to dress up your favorite pair of jeans. If you have a purse with a removable strap attach a necklace that has a large chain link or other sturdy metal band.
Now that you have plenty more ways to wear your vintage jewelry you need to go out and buy yourself some more!