Sponsored by Tasha R
The History Behind … Dress Clips
What inspired these popular Art Deco-era pins, and what forced them out of fashion? A look at the story behind a style that’s similar to the brooch.
New York--Dress clips are a type of pin that first gained prominence in the 1920s and were worn in pairs, often opposite one another on the neckline or straps of a dress.
The style, however, fell out of favor in the 1950s when classic brooches regained popularity, and it never really recovered.
So, what forced dress clips out of fashion, and will they ever come back in style again?
Greg Kwiat, CEO of Fred Leighton, and Rebecca Selva, chief creative officer and public relations director for the jeweler, recently took the time to chat with National Jeweler about this Art Deco-era trend, and some of the ways in which Fred Leighton is finding new life for these classic clips.
When did women first start wearing dress clips? Dress clips, Kwiat said, first began to appear post-World War I. Fashion in both clothing and jewelry changed as the world worked to recover from the “Great War” and time marched on into the 1920s, a famous decade for style.
During this time, “fashion began to dictate some of the jewelry trends” in many respects, Kwiat said. “The tight, corseted dresses of the Edwardian period came into a much more free-form flowing, adventurous, romantic style,” including the famous flapper dresses of the era.
This new style of dress called for more ornamentation, and Kwiat said dress clips evolved as a reaction to that and were worn not only on dresses but also on furs and accessories, like handbags.
“I think it’s a real phenomenon in a way because dress clips become the piece of jewelry you have to have, and becomes integral to a dress and a look,” Selva said. “Designers are putting them on these dresses that they are making. Some of the big thrust was the movies, people going to the movies in the 1920s, and they’re seeing these beautiful women with these dress clips and they want that.”
And so companies started making them in great number, and not just the great houses such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Raymond Yard, but famous costume jewelers of the era too, like Trifari and Coro. This, in turn, feeds back to the fine houses and the dress clip quickly establishes itself as a “must-have item in fashion,” Kwiat said.
“The costume jewelry industry,” Selva said, “gave such a boost to that concept.”
Did dress clips serve any purpose?
What separates the dress clip from the classic brooch? Kwiat said in the beginning, dress clips were always in pairs, worn separated from each other on the strap or neckline of a dress, and almost always symmetrical.
However, they also could be worn together. He said pairs of dress clips often had a back that secured the two halves together so it became one piece, like a more classic-style brooch.
“That’s really the difference,” he said. “The dress clips are two pieces that can be worn together or separate whereas a brooch is typically a single element.”
Kwiat added that the Art Deco period is also the first time dress clips appeared, whereas one could go as far back as the Ancient Egyptians and find brooches.
When do we see dress clips begin to decline in popularity? In the 1930s and ‘40s, the style of dress clips evolved alongside other jewelry.
The bright-white platinum and diamond aesthetic of the early Art Deco era expanded to incorporate yellow gold and more colored gemstones and asymmetry became more of an acceptable idea.
As World War II ended, though, styles began to change.
Kwiat noted that during the Great Depression and the World War II, people went to the movies to escape and were inspired by the styles of actresses like Jean Harlow, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, who were featured on screen and in images wearing dress clips.
“(Dress clips are) never going to be what (they were) before but I always want to think that there’s people out there who love it and will wear them and enjoy them.” --Rebecca Selva, Fred LeightonBut then, “World War II ends, times change, fashions change,” he said. “And in the 1950s, the brooch really resurges in popularity and dress clips become less popular. You see dress clips fade a little bit in the minds of consumers.”
And they really never made a comeback.
“Dress clips really occupy a very distinct moment in time and they kind of bring you back to the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s,” Kwiat said.
Do you think the dress clip will ever regain the same type of popularity they enjoyed in the 1920s? “I pray every day for that,” Selva laughed. “You know what, it’s never going to be what it was before, but I always want to think that there’s people out there who love it and will wear them and enjoy them.”
Kwiat agreed, “It will never be as popular as it was in the 1920s.”
While today’s more casual dress doesn’t lend itself to the traditional manner of wearing dress clips, Selva noted that there are different ways of donning them today. Some women wear a single clip to dress up a pair of black pants while others tuck them into updos to add some glamour to the hair.
Fred Leighton, too, has found ways of incorporating beautiful Art Deco-era dress clips into modern-looking pieces of jewelry. “When we see beautiful dress clips, sometimes we feel they can make the basis of a beautiful design of some other kind,” Kwiat said.
The jeweler crafted a black enamel bangle with a pair of platinum diamond, ruby and onyx dress clips in mind. They also have designed big, modern earrings incorporating dress clips with on-trend styles such as yellow gold and fringe.
This reflects another trend seen throughout the history of jewelry--versatility, the desire to craft pieces that can be worn in multiple ways.
“People were always thinking about how they could wear things differently and more often,” Kwiat said.
The Latest
Three Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
A federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
From protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Cynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
The new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
This fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
The auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
The four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
The “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
The money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
The event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
Local reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
A collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
The Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
Hampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
The group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
The collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
This year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
Senior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
The latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
No. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.
Instead of its usual elaborate display, the store will illuminate its façade and frame the windows to highlight its flagship’s architecture.