A piece of jewelry or ornamental attachment worn on clothing, especially a piece of elaborate dress ornamentation.
From Old French atirail, related to attirer meaning 'to dress or equip,' which comes from à (to) + tire (to pull or arrange). It entered English in the 14th century referring to decorative accessories used in formal dress.
Medieval and Renaissance nobles would spend fortunes on these small ornaments—attirails were status symbols because the rarer and more elaborate they were, the wealthier you appeared. A single jeweled brooch could cost more than a peasant earned in a year!
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