Maximalist jewellery has completely taken the reins this past year. Now with wrists stacked up, fingers piled on with rings, and necklaces fighting for real estate at the clavicle, the it-girls are turning to brooches. Not as this formal, lowkey frumpy piece, but as a charming accessory, one that can add shine, whimsy, and make you fall back in love with your clothes.
Historically, brooches came with a purpose to pin clothes together. By the 1920s, they became a fashion accessory and ever since then have been dipping in and out of the trend cycle. For most, brooches are seen as heirloom pieces, little vintage things to preserve rather than wear. Now, as the love for vintage fashion grows, we’re all slowly rediscovering the versatility this nifty bedazzled pin can do.
But if vintage isn’t your look, we rounded up the jauntiest pieces and how they can style a 2026 wardrobe.
Starting with the sustainable route, The Jewels Jar offers plenty of brooches that double up as pendants that can be worn separately as a necklace. Our favourite is the butterfly, which sits chic on the lapel, but you could also switch things up and pin the colourful piece on a denim pocket.
If you’re looking to go back historically and use brooches for the intended purpose, this chain link piece by Balmain can be styled just like that—holding an open blazer together or pinning a gathered drape in place.
Since it’s the year of the horse, we cannot ignore the horse-shaped pieces Dior has put out. For those going maximalist with their brooches, the horse brooch is a playful addition.
Speaking of playful brooches, you cannot talk about funky accessories and skip Loewe. With animals crafted in a braided rope texture, they sit perfectly well on a shirt collar, especially if it’s styled to peak through a sweater.
If LBDs are on the outfit agenda, then brooches make the perfect accessory to elevate them. Brooches in textured star motifs add dimension, especially in contrast to the black canvas.
And while we’re on the topic of elevating outfits through brooches, there are plenty of fabric brooches out there that don’t necessarily add bling, but they add drama to an otherwise plain outfit.
And finally, if you don’t want brooches tugging at your clothes, then how about your leather goods? Shoes and bags might not be the first place you think of bedazzling with a brooch, but you can easily switch up moods with the pin—crystal-studded for shine, carved pieces for intensity, and tiny animals chicer than Labubus. After all, a brooch’s superpower is its versatility and a reminder that a little goes a long way.
