Recently I was talking with someone about wearing jewellery and how I'm generally comfortable wearing anything no matter how large or bold, except for one brooch I bought a few years ago.

I bought the brooch whilst shopping in New York with Suzanne Golden and at the time I fell completely in love with it. Although it's only a simple piece of silver, in the shop it seemed imbued with special powers and the ability to be worn in so many ways. I could see me wearing in on coats, dresses, in my hair and especially on my shoulder where its curve fit perfectly.

I later realised I was just delirious from all those amazing hours in New York with Suzanne, and once I got home to the UK the brooch seemed impractical and silly. It went with nothing I owned and I felt too foolish to wear it in all the ways I had imagined I would.

I think of this brooch a lot when I get dressed and am always hopeful that today will be the day I wear it. But so far that day hasn't arrived.

Fast forward over 2 years to today.

I begin most days by checking my emails, clicking on links and catching up on blogs. If I'm in a particularly procrastinating mood then I continue clicking on links until I have to tell myself 'enough is enough' and get on with some real work.

Today through a random sequence of clicks I ended up on the blog 'Advanced Style' and spent ages looking at the glorious photos of these fabulous looking older men and women. Seeing as Iris Apfel is my style icon this was no hardship. I would kill to look like Iris, or to at least own her jewellery collection. This really is a great site filled with women dressing gloriously and giving their style advice on dressing well even if you are 100. Wandering the site and seeing these women on the streets of New York brought back so many memories, especially of wandering those same streets with Suzanne Golden, herself featured on the site. Getting lost in the site I came across many inspirational photos and stories and then stumbled upon Lynn Dell. A few more clicks and I realised she had a shop, 'Off Broadway Boutique.'

Before I even clicked on the link I just knew I had been there. Not only that, but it had to be the shop I bought the brooch.

I clicked on the site and whilst it seemed familiar, there were no photos I could find which showed the shop. A bit of Googling later and I found this and was instantly transported back to the shop. My memories of being there and trying on that brooch came back to me with a swoosh and it felt like I was standing there full of confidence about wearing this brooch and excited to do so.

I'm still undecided about wearing the brooch but now at least I hope it won't serve as a guilt-inducing reminder that I spent a lot money on it and have never worn it, but instead I'll see it as a treasure from my trip and a link to an amazing time. Maybe I need to age into the brooch and rethink wearing it again when I hit 80 and will somehow miraculously become elegant, just like the lovely, beautiful women on the site. I look forward to that day.