Stop Trying to Make Brooches Happen

By Brittany Siminitz | May 13, 2026

If I see one more person stick a brooch on their jeans…

Here’s the thing: Our industry loves a brooch. We know them, we respect them, we understand their history. They’ve existed for centuries, and often it’s the pieces with the richest provenance that resonate most deeply with collectors. A great brooch carries permanence—it can be art object, heirloom, and personal expression all at once.

And to be clear, I love the way designers have approached the category in recent years. Parlé is a perfect example: The brand debuted its instantly famous opal dinosaur brooches at JCK last year, and I’m genuinely intrigued to see what the brand has planned for 2026.

Rémy Rotenier—another brand coming to JCK—is also a standout, creating sculptural, whimsical pieces that remind us high jewelry can have a sense of humor while remaining exquisitely crafted. Brooches are one of the few categories where fine jewelry can lean playful without losing its artistry.

Remy Rotenier animal brooch — *Rémanimals brooch in sterling silver and 22k yellow gold with diamonds, price on request; Rémy Rotenier*

But despite what social media (and the headline of this article) would have you believe, the brooch is not—and never will be—a trend.

At first, the renewed attention felt exciting. Brooches on denim jackets, brooches on menswear, brooches styled with a fresh sense of irreverence. Fine. Great, even. But the trend cycle accelerated at algorithmic speed, and suddenly Instagram and TikTok were overflowing with aggressively styled, head-to-toe brooch looks that felt less like genuine adornment and more like performance.

What’s especially telling is how many articles and videos center on one recurring question: “How do you wear a brooch without looking old-fashioned?” That alone reveals the problem. People are trying so hard to modernize the brooch that they’re stripping away the very elegance and intentionality that makes it compelling in the first place.

Peter Schmid brooch — *Brooch in sterling silver and gold with 0.8 ct. brown diamond and 0.18 ct. t.w. diamonds, price on request; Peter Schmid*

And please—for the love of vintage jewelry—stop pinning fine brooches to the hems of jeans. Editorially? Sure. Practically? It’s a terrible idea. A valuable piece of jewelry should not be one curb scrape away from disaster.

For retailers, this matters. Social media trends burn hot and fast, and visibility does not always translate into sustained consumer behavior. Brooches require confidence, styling intention, and often a specific wardrobe to support them. They are not impulse purchases in the way charms or layering chains can be. So while there’s certainly opportunity in the category, retailers should resist confusing online enthusiasm with long-term demand—at least in high volumes.

I’ll never stop loving brooches. They’re regal, expressive, occasionally eccentric, and deeply collectible. But I do think the current obsession with making them “cool” misses the point entirely.

The brooch was already cool. It never needed reinvention. It doesn’t need anyone trying to make it happen. It’s happened, is happening, and will continue to happen—it just needed appreciation.

Top: Beetle brooch/pendant in 14k yellow gold with malachite, price on request (sold); Parlé