The men’s jewelry renaissance may be well under way, but for most who are not walking a runway or red carpet, sporting a pearl necklace or full hand of bling may still be a bridge too far.
Enter the brooch. Lapel accessories have once again become a focal point for men’s fashion, overtaking the dandy pocket square or the novelty tie bar when it comes to creative license in suiting. But instead of the simple lapel pin (long known for its military, civic or political affiliations), it’s the once-stuffy, more elaborate brooch that is serving as the sartorial bullseye for event dressing and a conduit for even the most bashful of subjects to explore how diamonds, gold and other precious materials can serve as powerful statements of self expression.
There has been a steady stream of “bro brooches” throughout this year’s awards shows, from Trevor Noah’s Tiffany & Co. Bird on a Rock at his Grammy hosting gig to (a literal flight of fancy for the departed “Daily Show” host) to Oscar winner Cillian Murphy’s 24-karat-gold HS14 brooch by Hong Kong-based brand Sauvereign (designed to showcase eight concentric trapeziums — the shape of the interior components that Murphy’s character J. Robert Oppenheimer used in his history-altering invention).
But it was the Met Gala that saw peak brooch, with gentleman attendees taking the trend and raising it quite a few notches to meet the event’s whimsical “Garden of Time” theme – and in many cases, surpassing it.
Jon Batiste’s Cartier brooch, circa 1928, was an exemplary Art Deco piece. It was also massive, spanning a few inches down his lapel. Jeff Goldblum wore not one, not two, but three Tiffany & Co. brooches from the brand’s Schlumberger collection (including another Bird on a Rock, now a signature in its Blue Book high jewelry collection lineup). He was shockingly one-upped by Leon Bridges, who wore five brooches (one on each lapel, two on the pocket, one on a necktie; a few came from jeweler Joseph Saidian) with cowboy boots and black leather gloves.
Others were more cleverly placed, seemingly intended for a treasure hunt: Andrew Scott’s vintage Boucheron insects crawled along the top of his (sleeveless) shoulder, while Troye Sivan’s butterfly pin by Emmanuel Tarpin was fitted to his Prada waistband, and Odell Beckham, Jr. echoed the necktie trend with a vintage Verdura seahorse brooch at the throat.
In some places, it was hard to tell where the brooch began and the suit ended. Jeremy Strong’s Loro Piana had a built in floral appliqué (his only jewelry, a single diamond drop earring from Sidney Garber), while Omar Apollo’s DeBeers brooches nearly blended in with the embellished lapels on his Loewe suit.
“A well-executed brooch should feel like an extension of the suit,” says stylist Avo Yermagyan. He recommends muted finishes for casual suits and going all-out with more intricate jeweled pins on tuxedos. At the Oscars, he dressed Sir Ben Kingsley in a Dolce & Gabbana double-breasted satin tuxedo, outfitting its lapel with an oversized bejeweled floral pin (also by the Italian brand). “A lapel brooch serves no other purpose than adornment, so have fun with it and be bold with your choice,” says Yermagyan.
The more fashion-inclined can also look to Pharell Williams, whose debut at Louis Vuitton for the spring summer ‘24 men’s collection included some of the most theatrical examples of lapel adornment, with glass pearls and blue and white zircons decorating chain-linked pocket gems that were designed to match the music artist’s signature pearl-encrusted eyewear.
Here are 12 brooches that dial up the personality, just in time for wedding season.
The French maison was a master of the Art Deco movement, and new collections continue to hint at its heritage. That includes this Cartier high jewelry brooch set in white gold with rubellites, onyx and diamonds, a piece that’s equal parts color and geometry—and perfect in dimension for a satin tuxedo lapel. Price upon request.
The Athen’s based jewelry designer created his ME with a more masculine point of view, using black and yellow brushed gold in angular pieces, including this brooch, which is punctuated with an 11.37-carat yellow brown diamond. Price upon request.
The jewelry brand’s King brooch takes its name from the founder’s famous moniker as the “King of Diamonds”—which Winston received in 1947 from a story in Cosmopolitan magazine that utilized the very same half-moon design in its layout. Today, the Harry Winston brooch is still done in platinum with emerald-cut and baguette-cut diamonds. Price upon request.
Hailing from its 1969 Heritage collection, the Van Cleef & Arpels Lizard clip is set in white and yellow gold with two emeralds for its reptilian eyes. $22,800
First designed in 1940, Verdura’s Target brooch was initially worn by the likes of Millicent Rogers and Dorothy Paley along with matching earrings, but today the gold, diamond, and platinum piece easily lends itself to plenty of suiting moments.
As part of the jewelry designer’s Menagerie collection of one-of-a-kind animal jewels, Harwell Godfrey’s Snail brooch is outfitted in yellow gold with champagne diamonds, white diamonds and her signature geometric inlay. $14,850
While stick pins might be considered the beginner option to a more advanced jeweled brooch, Mateo’s Scepter brooch in gold, diamonds and a single baroque pearl still makes for a bold statement.
In his debut collection as men’s creative director, Pharrell Williams introduced the new man brooch to an even wider audience, pairing his penchant for wacky sunglasses with lapel flourishes, including the LV Dynasty brooch, dripping in glass pearls and white and blue zircons.
Whimsy is a signature of the brooch, and Lugano’s Butterfly version executes it with precision, combining 17.25 carats of delicately shaped opals with pear-shaped and brilliant diamonds, all set in white gold. Price upon request.
Consider floral-inspired jewelry brooches a welcome upgrade from the oft-overdone boutonnierè (bonus: no wilting). Chopard’s high jewelry brooch is set in white gold and titanium with a 9.28-carat rubellite tourmaline and an array of pink sapphires, rubies, pink tourmalines, rubellite tourmalines, pink spinels and diamonds. Price upon request.
As one of its most iconic designs, the Bird on a Rock brooch has become something of a gem playground for the jewelry brand, an exploration of rare and important gems paired with a midcentury design motif. This version of the Jean Schlumberger Bird on a Rock brooch is done with a 46-carat spessartine, set in yellow gold along with turquoise, pearls, pink sapphires, and diamonds. Price upon request.
Many of the famed French jeweler’s creations were inspired by nature, including the Vintage Leaves brooch, which she designed in 1946 in Paris. Done in diamonds, platinum and gray gold, it would feel equally at home on the Met Gala red carpet or a black tie summer wedding.
