Is The Brooch Making A Comeback Or Did It Never Go Away?

The Daily Telegraph recently published a somewhat intriguing fashion article, declaring that the statement brooch is making a big comeback as a means of adding some glamour to one’s appearance. But is that quite an accurate reading of the situation?

According to the paper, brooches have long been considered “an accessory you associate with your grandmother or a member of the royal family,” but are now making a comeback as a more mainstream appendage, with the key difference being that this time it is “entering a more playful, irreverent era”.

Perhaps to emphasise this, it published a number of pictures of famous individuals wearing brooches, including two men: Jacob Elordi and Mick Jagger.

Of course, the idea that this is a new way for men to have the ‘moves like Jagger’ might be an exciting thought. But it does beg the question: Where have you been Daily Telegraph? It seems the newspaper has only just noticed a trend that has been growing for some time, not least in men’s fashion.

To an extent, brooches have never really gone away, but what is certainly different from a few years ago is the extent to which it is a statement piece for males. The report spoke of there being “rumblings of a brooch renaissance for a while now”, but even this may underestimate how much men are leading the way in making it a 21^st century must-have.

One can see this from the vast array of men who are wearing brooches now, especially among celebrities. Jacob Elordi and Mick Jagger are treading an increasingly well-worn path.

This point was made several months ago in an article by WWD, which noted that men’s jewellery as a whole had been “experiencing a boom for several years now”, including when it comes to brooches.

On this point, it quoted Michael Saiger, the founder and creative director of Miansai, who noted that brooches have been a growing segment. He wasn’t alone among the jewellery professionals quoted in saying so.

If brooches are indeed making a comeback, it is a renaissance that has been underway for years, led in no small part by developments in male fashion.