Chris, I like to browse JCrew for jewelry inspiration and ideas. Their style fits my look, but you might like how they blend vintage looks with current colors and ideas.
http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Brows.....ewelry.jsp

I'm reading The One Hundred by Nina Garcia and one of the illustrations showed a girl wearing a large vintage brooch pinned to a plain white tee (which is generally not a YLF-approved item, but I loved it in this image; I think it'd have to be a really excellent quality white tee, or substitute a simple white button-down or knit top) worn with clamdiggers and ballet flats. It looked very appealing and stylish to me.

I've also heard that wearing 2 or 3 brooches at a time is a current look. Or try them in your hair or pinned to a hat or a vest/waistcoat.

I love the look of brooches but I always worry about leaving pinholes in my clothing. Does anyone know if that's actually a concern?

I believe julijuli ( I could be wrong! ) posted a photo where she attached a brooch to her pearl necklace. It was a great look, and one I'd love to copy when I find a brooch.

I don't own any brooches because I can't find any I like for like than $10 or so. But I have used fancy hair pins as brooches, especially with thin or open weave knits. I can just click it through the knit.

Does the weight of the brooch sag the fabric of the garment? It seems to me like unless your pinning the brooch to substantial fabric (like a wool or tweed coat) then the shirt will just sag down from the weight of the pin.

I loved the brooch pinned to the pearls too. That was a very creative idea.

I have been feeling a little bored with my necklaces lately. I've shopped for new ones, but have not found any that intrigue me. I like big bold chunky statments. So I've been wearing earrings lately.

This season is all about huge bangles and necklaces, and in particular layered necklaces. It was Julia who creatively pinned her brooch to a chunky necklace. Very fab.

I wore something fun a few weeks ago. I wore an AT green silk cami under a fun little biker inspired denim jacket. The cami had a small seam down the middle so, I took a pin & wore it right at the seam (top middle of the cami) that hit right at the chest. Oh my gosh, it was such a fun different little look. I'll definitely do it again! :) Just play & explore. You can create millions of different looks by doing things out of the ordinary with a few pieces.

I also really liked the brooch pinned to the necklace.

In addition to J Crew, Ann Taylor usually has some really nice costume jewelry.

Two words: Michelle Obama. The First Lady loves brooches, and she will singlehandedly make them back in style. I also have a large collection and love them (although I struggle with making holes in many of the knits I wear).

Ideas: brooches scattered on a cardi, at the cleavage on a solid colored top or sweater, at the waist clipped to a skinny belt or just pinned to the waist of a dress, clipped to a barette in the hair (a small one, not too heavy), on jackets/blazers/winter coats, on hats (very smashing), on purses.

And check out the blog mrs-o.org for more on the First Lady's style.

Oops, Julia is so similar to julijuli and my memory played tricks on me. Julia's look was really fabulous, and I hope to copy it!

Try a cotton ball on the inside of the garment to help secure a brooch. Just make sure it can't be seen from any angle. Shop antique stores or flea markets for vintage brooches often less than retail. Windex and an old toothbrush will bring a rhinestone brooch back to life.

Chris, I started wearing brooches this fall and absolutely love it. I found this blog entry very inspiring. Check out all the various ways Kasmira uses brooches: http://whatiwore2day.blogspot......-cool.html

A very elegant older friend of mine told me that the key to wearing a brooch successfully is to pin it on so that is is right on your collar bone. If that is the lapel fine if not then next to the lapel. She explained that putting it too low makes the face 'drag', the eye should see your face and the brooch in one glance.... there you have it ladies... Sometimes her reasons astound me as I have never heard this one before.

Wow, such great ideas - like the cottonball and the collar bone idea. Never heard of those before, but they make sense to me.

Chris, back in the late 80s when brooches were very much in style I collected vintage brooches and always sported one on my blazer. I haven't worn them in years but I've been having so much fun bringing them out again after all this time.

I would say as long as they aren't cutesy - like holiday themed! - go for it, experiment, play! Jeweled brooches in particular can look amazing right now. What's cool now is wearing multiple brooches - ones that harmonize in some way, whether it's motif or color of the gems or color of the hardware - so try that too.

For example, here I am wearing two vintage brooches together - these two happen to be hand-me-down costume pieces from my mother, who got them from my great-grandmother:

http://s386.photobucket.com/al.....ooches.jpg

I have to say, I like the brooches I have had for years more than the brooches I see in the stores now. That includes Jcrew, BR and AT. BUT, that may be because I'm so darn petite: it seems the brooches for sale now are HUGE in scale, too huge for my petite frame.

One idea not listed here: take a smaller brooch and wear it as a button, for blouses that are too low-cut. I have an onyx brooch that is only about one inch in length that I wear to button up a white blouse that has black buttons. (oops, I thought I had a pic of this, but I don't... I've done this a few times ...I will have to take a pic!)

Brooches are a wonderful accessory to an outfit, I also like vintage jewelry, unique pieces like from anthropologie and there are many online jewelry boutiques with beautiful pieces in an array of colors.