Vintage China Bouquet Brooches/Pins

Feeling guilty about buying fresh flowers (unsustainable growing practices / low wages for workers / use of pesticides)?

Fret no more! Ease your conscience by raiding the dusty shelves of your local charity shop for these bright little bouquets that bloom all year round. Delicately crafted in china, hand-painted and glazed, I've found pieces from Coalport, Crown and Aynsley in abundance, from as little as £1.00.

Try Etsy if you want to pin one to your lapel quick smart, and don't mind paying over-the-odds.

Found at: Save the Children, Shrewsbury & a charity shop in Crouch End.
Price: £1.00 - £5.00 each
Usability Factor: 5/5
Accessorise with: A vintage silk scarf and bright cherry lips from Lauren Luke's 'My Fierce Violets' palette.

Hoard of Gold Brooches

Take a peek at these little treasures - you'd be forgiven for thinking I'd uncovered them in a pretty little chest at the bottom of the sea, instead of an aging charity shop on a busy road in deepest darkest Hereford. That they cost £3.00 all up makes the find even more satisfying! I'm not sure what era they date from (1970s, earlier?) but they're very heavy so sadly won't be worn with some of my more delicate silk tops.

Found at: Charity Shop, Commercial Road, Hereford
Usability Factor: 5/5
Accessorise with: A mannish blazer to take away that girly sheen.