Are you man enough to wear grandma’s brooch?
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The ever-waspish Andy Warhol had some thoughts on men’s jewellery. “I’m starting to think that the men are the ones who should wear the big jewellery because they can defend it better when it’s robbed,” said the pop artist. “They should wear the diamonds. You can show how much of a man you are, because the bigger the diamond, the stronger you have to be to defend it.”
Presumably, the A-listers who’ve walked the red carpet of late have been putting their time in at the gym, because the trend for men’s adornment and decoration has never been more glitteringly apparent, particularly in the most grannyish department of them all; the brooch.
Sunday best pearls are old news on boys – the likes of Harry Styles, Pharrell Williams and the Beckham offspring have been sporting grandma’s polite multi-strands for a few years now. In their place, brooches now glisten on lapel pins, as seen at the recent Oscars and Baftas ceremonies. There was Oscar winner Cillian Murphy wearing an immaculate Versace tuxedo with a discreetly glistening swirl brooch, created for him by Hong Kong jeweller Sauvereign in 24-carat gold (the same gold that plates the Oscar awards, perhaps a lucky emblem).
Alongside him was Robert Downey Jr wearing a Tiffany & Co Elsa Peretti brooch comprising an amapola flower, its swooping stem of yellow gold studded with pavé diamonds and bud in black silk. New Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa donned a brooch of diamond fronds and a sapphire tanzanite last seen sinking beneath the Titanic, while John Krasinksi added a constellation of starbursts to his handsome ivory dinner jacket – both were by Tiffany.
As red-carpet dressing for men has become more and more experimental and boundary-pushing; bling outings on famous men have included Timothée Chalamet in a regal Cartier ruby and diamond brooch (and Prada tracksuit, for that high/low mix) and British actor Regé-Jean Page frequently dressing up his evening jacket in a stardust smattering of brooches from Bulgari, Chaumet and Alexander McQueen.
Perhaps it’s not such a seismic leap; lapel pins have long been a way for men to pep up a tired old evening jacket or smoking jacket to lend a bit of oomph and a point of difference. A brooch is just a step in terms of impact and peacockery, and given how few opportunities men get to embrace a touch of tail-feather shaking, brooches are a discreet way ‘in’ without looking like Mr T or Liberace. Plus, at a time when it’s risky to wear your obvious watch for fear of marauding motorcycle gangs, a brooch glinting on a lapel is a touch more risk averse; chances are no-one will see it until you shed your coat at whatever dressy event you’re wearing it for.
“I think brooches or lapel pins are probably the most ‘accessible’ way for men to explore fine jewellery,” says jewellery expert Sarah Royce-Greensill. “Perhaps men are increasingly drawn to a very formal look as a riposte to the loungewear that’s ubiquitous in everyday life now,” she says, noting that white diamonds will always stand out against a black suit (if you’re a particular swell sort with a few to hand), and that sculptural, simple designs like Murphy’s look clean and masculine. “Contemporary designers are increasingly using titanium which makes brooches incredibly lightweight, meaning they can create larger and more complex designs without adding weight that would drag the fabric down.”
Of course, decorative dressing on men is nothing new; the Maharajas and the fanciful fellows of the French courts were adorning themselves in fantastic jewels long before Gen Z got an inkling.
Brooches and lapel pins are also a smart way to incorporate jewellery in a subtle, masculine way; I happen to have recently inherited a small collection of jewellery pieces from my late mother. I’m not about to start piercing ears or resizing rings, but it has led to a good deal of research into having some pieces reimagined as lapel pins or brooches to wear on special occasions.
Why? Because jewellery carries so much sentiment, and because there are so few avenues of men’s dressing that allows for expression and personality. Why should the ladies have all the fun?
Get inspired
Hyperbola brooch, £179, swarovski.com; CD brooch, £330, dior.com
Brass lapel pin, £20, tedbaker.com; Gold Vermeil pin, £80, leerenee.com
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