Read My Pins (9 page)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Sailor, Monet.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Overseas, accompanied by officers from the U.S. Air Force.

PHILLIPPE WOJAZER/REUTERS
French president Jacques Chirac practicing the art of diplomacy. My pin (shown on the following page) celebrates
liberté
,
égalité
,
fraternité
.

I also purchased a large American flag pin that I have since grown accustomed to wearing on the Fourth of July and other festive occasions. For funerals, to which I have been too often, I picked up a tricolor memorial bow.

The manufacture of costume jewelry with a patriotic theme flourished in the United States during and immediately after World War II. All the symbols I love—eagles, flags, drums, trumpets, and rousing slogans—were in vogue. The pieces were worn by noncombatants to signify support for the war effort and bought by sailors and soldiers to leave with sweethearts before taking up arms across the sea. Many of the pins came in the colors of the U.S. flag and continued selling after the war (except for those in red, which fell out of favor because of the color’s association with Communism).

PHILLIPPE WOJAZER/REUTERS
Memorial bow, Trifari.

One of the reasons I appreciate costume jewelry is that it can delight the eye and still spare the pocketbook. The modern woman
needs to be able to experiment with a look and try different ideas. Given my height (five foot two), I had always assumed small pins were best for me, but soon I began to buy pieces that—although not costly—were bigger, bolder, and sometimes even crazier. To my surprise, I found that the look I preferred was more on the dramatic side than the demure.

American flag, Ann Hand;

brave heart, Swarovski;

AIDS ribbon, designer unknown;

heart with donkey, designer unknown;

heart stickpin, reproduction, The Metropolitan Museum of Art;

French ribbon bow, Silson;

patriotic bow, Carolee;

Statue of Liberty, designer unknown;

safety-pin American flag, designer unknown;