Lapel gadgets?

[St. Louis]

Lately I've been obsessed with "lapel gadgets" from the 1940s. These are cute little decorative items that women would pin to their lapels. They're often floral, but they can be miniature hats, boots, Scottie dogs, and fruits. I haven't seen any discussions of them, but I've seen lots of crochet and needlework patterns, so I assume they must have been fairly popular. My sense is that they were usually worn by young women or teenagers.

What do you think? Wouldn't they be fun to reproduce?

 

[LizzieMaine]

This was a big fad during the war, the idea being it was an inexpensive way to brighten up severely-cut, minimalist wartime outfits. You're right that they were generally popular with the younger crowd, but there were also military-themed doodads that were popular with women who used them to indicate that they had a man in service. You could find a lot of them ready-made at dimestore notions counters.

 

[St. Louis]

You could find a lot of them ready-made at dimestore notions counters.

That's interesting. I would love to find some. I've been reproducing the ones shown in that pattern envelope (from wool felt) and crocheting a few things, like flowers and fruits. They're fun and quick to make. I can imagine they'd be popular with folks who couldn't afford to purchase costume jewelry. I