How to style the brooch trend – without looking like your grandma

Celebrity stylists share their fail-safe tips on styling the brooch.

Celebrity stylists share how to style the trending brooch (Alamy/PA) (Alamy/PA)

The 20-year-cycle in fashion is a well-known phenomenon. When it comes to clothes, we’ve always loved a revival, but few accessories have made a return quite as unexpectedly as the brooch.

Once associated with prim cardigans and heirloom jewellery boxes, it has started to re-emerge on the runways of Dior and Chanel, and more tellingly, on the red carpets from the Brits to the Golden Globes.

Celebrity stylist Ellis Ranson traces the resurgence to a broader shift in fashion back towards classic tailoring, particularly in menswear.

“I actually styled Rio [Ferdinand] for the Brits [in 2024] and we put a brooch on him,” she explains. “Menswear can be really simple – we’re going back to classic tailoring with oversized lapels – and instead of being too creative with the shape of the suit, individuality comes from the brooch.”

Instead of experimenting with our base outfit, we’re now getting more creative with our accessories.

Why brooches are trending again

After years dominated by minimalism and “quiet luxury”, there’s a growing appetite for pieces that feel personal rather than anonymous. Luxury stylist Oriona Robb believes that’s the real reason brooches have resurfaced.

“We’re tired of looking the same,” she says, “after years of uniform dressing, there’s a hunger for individuality – for pieces that tell a story rather than just complete an outfit.”

Wearing a brooch today isn’t about signalling formality or status. “We’re not wearing them to look traditional,” Robb explains, “we’re wearing them as acts of self-expression.”

The golden rule: contrast

Both experts agree that the fastest way to make a brooch look dated is to style it too neatly. Matching it to a tweed jacket or overly classic outfit risks tipping into old-fashioned.

“The key is contrast,” Robb says. “Pair a beautiful brooch with something unexpected – a chunky knit, a leather jacket, even denim. Let it be the disruptor.”

That sense of tension between old and new is what makes the brooch feel current. Ranson echoes the point, noting that relaxed tailoring and bigger lapels are doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

“They aren’t looking dated because of how they’re being worn,” she says. “It’s colourful tailoring, oversized shapes – and sometimes clusters of brooches rather than just one.”

Next Gold Tone Flower Brooch, £14

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Wear it beyond the lapel

While the lapel remains the safest starting point, it’s far from the only option. In fact, the most interesting styling often happens elsewhere.

Robb suggests pinning a brooch at the collar of a shirt for more of an editorial feel, or using one to gather fabric at the waist of an oversized shirt or dress – a subtle way to create shape without adding a belt.

“I’ve also seen them worn asymmetrically on knitwear, closer to the shoulder or even at the hem,” she says.

Ranson predicts the placement will only get more experimental.

“I think we’ll start seeing them on jumpers, knits, T-shirts – even on coats,” she says. She also points to the resurgence of ties as a possible new frontier. “I’ve just done a shoot with embellished ties, so maybe [we’ll see that] or brooches will replace buttons on shirts. It’s a new way to personalise your wardrobe.”

Anthropologie Tartan Bow Brooch, £38

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Casual doesn’t mean careless

One of the biggest misconceptions about brooches is that they only work with formalwear. In reality, they’re more effective when styled casually with your everyday outfit.

“A brooch on a shirt feels very smart,” says Robb, “on a knit, it becomes more unexpected – and I actually think that’s more interesting.”

Ranson agrees, suggesting vintage brooches paired with everyday basics are the best way to go. “You can go vintage,” she says, “team it with a suit and a white T for daytime, or relaxed casual looks.”

A fail-safe formula

If you’re hesitant about styling the brooch, both stylists say keep it pared-back elsewhere.

Ranson suggests suggests for women “a white T, an oversized boyfriend blazer, jeans and a small-heeled boot – then add the brooch on the lapel.” For men, she says the approach is nearly identical: “A relaxed blazer, suit trousers, a white or black T and the brooch. Swap the T for a shirt if you want it smarter.”

Robb seconds this, stating: “The plainer your canvas, the more impact the brooch has.”

M&S High-Waisted, Wide-Leg Jeans, £40

Office Amelie Kitten-Heel Ankle Boots, £49.99