The Men’s Brooch Is Back: What the Academy Museum Gala Says About the Statement Piece

At the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on 17 October, some of the best-dressed men skipped the chain and pinned the statement to their lapel instead. Justin Timberlake, A$AP Rocky and Jaafar Jackson all wore brooches, and they weren't the only ones.

It's the latest sign that the men's brooch is properly back. Here's what was worn, why the statement piece is moving off the neck, how to wear a brooch yourself, and the other places a single standout piece can sit when the lapel isn't an option.

The statement doesn't have to sit at the neck. Featured: the Square Signet Ring in gold.

Jump to:

• The brooches at the gala
• Is the men's brooch back?
• Why the statement is moving off the neck
• How to wear a brooch
• Other places for a statement piece
• FAQs

What Brooches Did Men Wear at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala?

The gala is one of Hollywood's big dress-up nights of the autumn, and this year the lapel did a lot of the talking.

• Justin Timberlake paired a patterned suit with a floral brooch from Tiffany & Co.
• A$AP Rocky went head to toe in Chanel, including a camellia brooch from the house's Métiers d'Art 2026 collection and flower stud earrings.
• Jaafar Jackson wore Giorgio Armani with a Bvlgari Serpenti brooch, a snake set with emeralds and diamonds.
• Reece Feldman finished his Dior look with brooches alongside a white bow tie.
• Tom Rhys Harries added a decorative brooch to his look for a bit of personality.

These are high-jewellery pieces from the biggest houses, made for one night under the lights. What matters for the rest of us is the decision behind them: one considered piece, placed where it will be seen.

Is the Men's Brooch Back?

It's been building for a while. Around the 2024 awards season, a few leading men started swapping the tie or bow tie for a pin, and each season since has brought more. By the 2026 Oscars, brooches were on lapels across the carpet, from Michael B. Jordan to Channing Tatum, and Shaboozey wore a vintage piece for his first Oscars. At the BAFTAs, host Alan Cumming wore a custom brooch in place of a bow tie.

The Academy Museum Gala itself has form here. At last year's gala, Jeff Goldblum pinned an emerald and diamond jabot pin by Stephen Silver to his jacket, with an Art Deco diamond and emerald bracelet to match. This year, Jaafar Jackson's emerald Serpenti kept the green going.

None of this is new territory for men's jewellery, either. Brooches started out as practical fasteners for cloaks and robes thousands of years ago, long before they became decoration. In a way, the lapel pin is one of the oldest pieces of men's jewellery there is.

Why Is the Statement Piece Moving Off the Neck?

Look at the suits. A patterned jacket, a velvet dinner suit or a sharply cut collar is already doing a lot. Add a chain at the neck and it either disappears under the shirt or competes with the tailoring.

The lapel solves that. It's high on the body, it frames the face, and it's the first thing a camera catches. The same logic explains why rings and bracelets have become a bigger part of how men dress: when the neck is taken, the statement moves to wherever it can be seen.

There's a personal side too. A brooch, like a signet, tends to be chosen rather than styled. It's one piece that says something about the man wearing it, which is a big part of its appeal after years of very uniform menswear.

How Do You Wear a Brooch?

On a jacket

Wear it on the left lapel, around the height of the buttonhole. Match the scale to the lapel: a slim lapel suits a small pin, a wide peak lapel can carry something bolder.

On an overcoat

This is the easiest everyday version. A pin on an overcoat lapel feels natural through autumn and winter, and it's on show every time you leave the house.

On a knit or denim

Pinned to a chunky knit or a denim jacket, a brooch loses its formality and reads as a personal detail. Keep the rest of the outfit simple.

Keep it to one

Whatever the outfit, one brooch is plenty. The point is a single focal point, not a collection.

Where Else Can a Statement Piece Go?

Not every outfit has a lapel, and not every man wants a pin. The thinking behind the brooch, one standout piece away from the neck, works just as well on your hands and wrists, and every day of the week.

A signet ring

The signet is the closest everyday equivalent to a brooch: one piece, worn for what it says. A plain face like the Square Signet Ring keeps things classic, while a stone-set signet such as the Squared Stone Signet Ring brings a little of the gala's shine. Our guide to styling a signet ring covers which finger and how to get the fit right.

A little shine, every day. Featured: the Squared Stone Signet Ring in silver.

A splash of colour

The best brooches at the gala were as much about colour as shine, from Rocky's camellia to Timberlake's florals. An enamel signet brings that onto the hand. The Enamel Swallow Signet Ring sets a swallow in flight against rich blue enamel, carrying a single rose with a red stone. The swallow has long been a symbol of safe return, which gives it the kind of personal meaning a good brooch carries. It also comes in silver.

Colour on the hand, not the lapel. Featured: the Enamel Swallow Signet Ring in gold.

A considered ring stack

If one ring feels too quiet, two across different fingers gives you more presence without tipping into costume. Our guide to wearing men's rings explains how to balance them, and the full men's rings collection is the place to start.

Something at the wrist

A slim bracelet catches the light every time you move your hand, which is exactly what a brooch does on a lapel. A 2mm Tennis Bracelet brings a fine line of sparkle, and a 2mm Connell bracelet is the quieter option.

A flash of green

The stone that caught our eye was emerald, from Jaafar Jackson's Serpenti to Jeff Goldblum's jabot pin the year before. Green is one of the easiest colours for a man to wear, because it sits well with navy, black, grey and earth tones alike. You don't need high jewellery to get the effect. The 6mm Emerald Cuban Bracelet is a gold Cuban link with a single emerald-coloured stone set into it, so it reads as a classic bracelet until the green catches the light. For more colour, the Green Gemstone Clover Bracelet links emerald-green stones with small silver clovers. Our guide to emerald for men covers what the stone means and how to wear it.

The gala's green, on the wrist. Featured: the 6mm Emerald Cuban Bracelet in gold.

The wrist version of a lapel pin. Featured: the 2mm Tennis Bracelet in silver.

Does the One-Piece Rule Still Apply?

Always. Whether it's a brooch, a signet or a bracelet, the pieces at the gala worked because each man let one thing lead and kept everything else quiet. Pick your focal point, then edit around it.

Dressing for a black tie night specifically? Our guide to wearing jewellery with black tie starts there.

Men's Brooches: FAQs

What brooches did men wear at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala?

Justin Timberlake wore a Tiffany & Co. floral brooch, A$AP Rocky wore a Chanel camellia brooch, and Jaafar Jackson wore a Bvlgari Serpenti brooch set with emeralds and diamonds. Reece Feldman and Tom Rhys Harries also finished their looks with brooches.

Which brooch at the Academy Museum Gala had emeralds?

Jaafar Jackson's Bvlgari Serpenti brooch was set with emeralds and diamonds. At the previous year's gala, Jeff Goldblum wore an emerald and diamond jabot pin by Stephen Silver.

Do men wear brooches?

More and more. Through recent awards seasons, a growing number of men have swapped the tie or bow tie for a pin on the lapel, and the 2026 Oscars and the 17 October Academy Museum Gala both had plenty on show.

Where does a man wear a brooch?

On the left lapel, roughly where the buttonhole sits. Off the red carpet, it works just as well on an overcoat, a blazer or a chunky knit.

Can you wear a brooch without a suit?

Yes. An overcoat lapel is the easiest everyday spot, and a pin on a knit or a denim jacket feels relaxed rather than formal. Keep it to one piece.

What can I wear instead of a brooch?

If you want the same effect, a single statement piece that isn't a chain, look to your hands and wrists. A signet ring or a slim bracelet does a similar job and works every day.

Is the men's brooch a trend or here to stay?

It has built steadily over several awards seasons rather than appearing overnight. Whether it lasts or not, the idea behind it, moving the statement piece off the neck, is one that works year round.

Find Your Focal Point

The brooch is having its moment because men want one piece that feels like theirs. You don't need a red carpet, or a lapel, to wear one. Start with a signet from our signet ring collection, or browse our bracelets and let your hands do the talking.