Textiles and Dress

Brooch

A brooch (, also US: ) is a decorative jewellery item, or the insignia of a fraternal order, designed to be attached to garments, often to fasten them together. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold or some other material. Brooches are frequently decorated with enamel or with gemstones and may be solely for ornament or serve a practical function as a clothes fastener. The earliest known brooches are from the Bronze Age. As fashions in brooches changed rather quickly, they are important chronological indicators. In archaeology, ancient European brooches are usually referred to by the Latin term fibula. One example is the Tara Brooch. A stomacher can consist of one or more elements. If it consists of one element, it can be best described as a large and elaborate brooch to be worn at the top of the bodice, in the centre of the neckline. In the 20th century, brooches were traditionally worn by women, while lapel pins were worn by men. At present, the use of lapel pins is not limited to men.

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See also

• ▸Bride
• ▸Aix-Marseille University
• ▸Faroe Islands

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