Hair accessories and brooches are two hot new trends in designer jewellery this year. They may seem dated or for your grandmother, but brooches are back and they can be worn by anyone and for almost any occasion. Headbands, glitzy barrettes and scarves are also important this year for all fashionable women.

Brooches are no longer the stuffy conservative pieces attached to your suit lapel. Pins can be fun, edgy, sparkly and cool. A glitzy eye-catching brooch looks great with evening attire. A simple black dress can really become elegant and sophisticated with a crystal or gemstone encrusted piece on the neckline. Try replacing your favourite going out necklace with a new brooch. Like a necklace, it brings attention up toward your face and gives you a fresh, stylish accent that everyone will notice. Scarves have been making the pages of fashion magazines for several years now. The trend is far from over, but it doesn't hurt to freshen the look up a bit. Try attaching a brooch to your scarf to add a little extra interest. This works best with a simple, solid scarf. Prints and flashy brooches together are just too overwhelming.

While brooches may seem old fashioned, barrettes may feel a little childish. The barrettes in today's designer jewellery collections are anything but. Hairpins covered with rhinestones, fabric flowers and crystals are elegant and appropriate for most women. Create a sophisticated updo with plain pins and then add a few bejewelled ones at the end to dress up an evening look. Or, use a fun flowery barrette to hold hair back for a more casual feel. Headbands are also back these days and range from glitzy to preppy, and punky to simple. A wide, striped, plaid or polka-dotted headband with sleek straight hair creates a fun, rather than stuffy, preppy look for laidback days. A leather band, plain or with metal studs, toughens up any look for day or evening. You can even find chain mail headbands to really make a statement. Many designer jewellery collections contain even fancier headbands worthy of any woman's personal jewellery box. Gem encrusted bands are a surprising accent to a formal dress, but very appropriate.

Whatever your mood, you can find a brooch or hair accessory to suit it. Designer jewellery changes as much as any kind of fashion and trends come and go. To look very now, find elegant, fun and casual brooches, barrettes and headbands.