The best brooches for wedding season, from Cartier to Louis Vuitton

The men's jewelry renaissance may be well underway, but for most who aren't walking a runway or red carpet, sporting a pearl necklace or a hand full of bling may still be a bridge too far .

Enter the pin. Lapel accessories have once again become a focal point of menswear, overtaking the dandy pocket square or fancy tie bar when it comes to creative license when it comes to suits. But instead of the simple lapel pin (long known for its military, civic, or political affiliations), it is the once cluttered and more elaborate brooch that serves as a sartorial target for event and channel outfits for even the most fashionable subjects. more shy. explore how diamonds, gold and other precious materials can serve as powerful statements of self-expression.

There's been a steady stream of bro pins throughout this year's awards shows, from Trevor Noah's Tiffany & Co. to Bird on a Rock during his Grammy hosting gig (a real flight of fancy for the late Daily Show host) to Oscar winner Cillian Murphys 24. – HS14 carat gold brooch from the Hong Kong-based brand Sauvereign (designed to showcase eight concentric trapezoids shaped like the interior components that Murphy's character, J. Robert Oppenheimer, used in his history-changing invention).

But it was the Met Gala that had its heyday, with the gentleman attendees taking the trend and elevating it a few notches to fit the event's whimsical Garden of Time theme – and in many cases, surpassing it .

The Jon Batistes Cartier brooch, circa 1928, was an exemplary Art Deco piece. It was also massive, extending a few inches from his lapel. Jeff Goldblum wore not one, not two, but three Tiffany & Co. brooches from the brand's Schlumberger collection (including another Bird on a Rock, now a signature of his Blue Book fine jewelry collection). He was shockingly edged out by Leon Bridges, who wore five brooches (one on each lapel, two on the pocket, one on a tie; a few were from jeweler Joseph Saidian) with cowboy boots and leather gloves black.

Others were more cleverly placed, seemingly intended for a treasure hunt: Andrew Scott's vintage Boucheron insects crawled along the top of his (sleeveless) shoulder, while Emmanuel Tarpin's Troye Sivans butterfly pin was fitted to his Prada belt, and Odell Beckham, Jr. echoed the tie trend with a vintage Verdura seahorse brooch at the neck.

In some places it was hard to tell where the brooch started and the suit ended. Jeremy Strong's Loro Piana had a built-in floral applique (his only jewelry, a single Sidney Garber diamond earring), while Omar Apollos DeBeer's brooches almost blended into the ornate lapels of his Loewe suit.

“A well-executed brooch should look like an extension of the suit,” says stylist Avo Yermagyan. He recommends understated finishes for casual suits and going all-out with more intricate jeweled pins on tuxedos. At the Oscars, he dressed Sir Ben Kingsley in a satin double-breasted tuxedo from Dolce & Gabbana, equipping his lapel with an oversized, bejeweled floral pin (also from the Italian brand). A lapel pin serves no purpose other than decoration, so have fun with it and be bold in your choice, says Yermagyan.

The more fashionably inclined can also look to Pharell Williams, whose debut at Louis Vuitton for the Spring/Summer 2024 men's collection included some of the most theatrical examples of lapel adornments, with glass beads and blue and white zircons. white decorating pocket stones linked by a chain that were designed to match the musical artists' iconic pearl-encrusted glasses.

Here are 12 personality-enhancing brooches, just in time for wedding season.