or a man to pin a brooch to his lapel or pocket is not new. Since Antiquity, brooches have been a key element of masculine attire, indicating an individual’s status and style.

For centuries, men wore brooches as a symbol of social significance or to show their adherence to a political or cultural ideology. Now brooches are a favourite accessory for a gentleman, paired with formalwear at a gala dinner or red-carpet event, as well as more casual styles for every day.

In 2023, in the first of its kind, Sotheby’s staged a selling exhibition on the evolution of men’s jewellery. For The Boys - A Jewelry Exhibition included a selection of brooches created through time by artists and houses such as Belperron, Tiffany & Co. and David Yurman, to name but some. Every one of the pieces quickly found a taker.

Cartier Nature Sauvage High Jewellery Brooch. White gold, sapphire, emeralds, onyx, diamonds. ©Cartier

Brooches in Antiquity stood for power and prestige, as well as the strength and courage of warriors and kings. For the Romans, they were both functional and ornamental, and again communicated personal style and status. During the Middle Ages, brooches became a sign of wealth and were made essentially from precious metals such as silver and gold. Come the Renaissance, they served not only to fasten clothing but also to indicate the social standing of the wearer.

In a portrait of Richard III (1452-1485) by an unknown artist, conserved at the National Portrait Gallery in London, the last Yorkist king of England wears a brooch pinned to his cap.

Portrait of King Richard III by an unknown artist. National Portrait Gallery, London.

Indeed, until the nineteenth century the brooch was an integral part of royal attire. At the court of Louis XIV, brooches ranked among the most precious and desirable jewels. The king himself, a paragon of fashion, owned an interesting brooch in the form of an eagle. According to certain sources, he acquired it on the death of Marie Louise Gonzaga, the widow of two Polish kings, in 1667. The bird’s chest is set with a garnet, with square rubies on its wings and two heart-shaped rubies on its tail.

Eau Vive shoulder brooches by Boucheron. Designed with 3D software, sculpted from a block of aluminium, immersed in a palladium bath and set with diamonds. Or Bleu collection. ©Boucheron

From the Sun King to the Grand Tour

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a brooch was part of a gentleman’s attire and proof that he had undertaken his Grand Tour: a cultural journey through Europe that marked a young man’s coming of age and completed his education, when he would typically buy brooches, particularly during visits to Rome, Venice and Florence, as a souvenir of his travels.

In a portrait by Thomas Phillips, Lord Byron wears traditional Albanian dress and has pinned a magnificent brooch, set with coloured stones, at his throat. The poet is said to have purchased the costume in 1809 in the Epirus region, during his Grand Tour through southern Europe.

Chanel Print Lion brooch in white gold, diamonds, red and black lacquer. ©Chanel

Leaving tradition behind

Today’s brooches are the ultimate multi-taskers, perfectly complementing different styles and occasions. They are also a creative outlet and a means of self-expression.

The celebrated artistic director Karl Lagerfeld spearheaded the brooch’s return to a man’s wardrobe. He always completed his signature style of black jacket, starched white shirt, necktie and ponytail with a brooch by Suzanne Belperron.

Brooches featured prominently in the spring-summer 2023 collections, from Dior Homme by Kim Jones to Kenzo by Nigo, with enamelled brooches, medallions, rosettes, silk and cotton flowers and aristocratic sparklers. From catwalk to red carpet, actors are also accessorising their tuxedos with a brooch. At this year’s Cannes film festival and at the Oscars, barely a lapel went brooch-free.

Piaget Dragon Brooch set with three stunning centrestones: a spinel, a spessartite and a yellow sapphire. ©Piaget

Celebrities aside, more and more men are exploring their personal style through accessories other than the traditional cufflinks and watch, and seeking jewellery that will stand out in a crowd. Long-time brooch-wearer Frank Everett, Sotheby’s vice chairman of jewellery, advises them to “get a brooch which is easy to wear and pulls an outfit together.”

Doing the rounds of this year’s GemGenève international gems and jewellery show, director Mathieu Dekeukelaire sported a lollipop brooch by A.Win Siu. “I started getting into jewellery when I began my role at GemGenève in 2018,” he says. “It’s become far more acceptable for a man to express his creativeness and imagination with a brooch, which is more original than an earring and easier to wear. I find mine at flea markets or buy from jewellery designers. I also bought five diamonds from precious stones dealer Ronny Totah, then asked a designer to create a brooch around them. I prefer to pin a brooch to my shirt collar rather than a lapel. It isn’t as obvious and tends to catch people’s eye more. Plus it doesn’t make a hole in your jacket!”

Chopard brooch from the Red Carpet collection. ©Chopard