Brooches: The Designer Brooch Edit and How to Wear One Now

By Coveti Editorial. Read our editorial and AI policy.

The short answer: a brooch is a decorative pin, and the modern way to wear one is off centre, on a scarf neckline, a collar and a kaftan, rather than the lapel alone. Two new pieces show it well: the pleated Taller Marmo Alta Marea Brooch and the crescent Mezzanotte Brooch, both in our designer brooches and pins edit. Taller Marmo is the Milan and Dubai house founded in 2013 by Riccardo Audisio and Yago Goicoechea, best known for turning the kaftan into eveningwear. Everything it makes, jewellery included, is made in Italy.

Brooch is one of the most searched jewellery words in our DataForSEO data, at more than 100,000 searches a month worldwide, led by the United States, India and the United Kingdom. The reason is simple: one pin changes a plain coat, a silk shirt and a scarf without buying a new garment.

The Taller Marmo brooches at a glance

How we compiled this: material, detail and origin are transcribed from each Taller Marmo product page on 15 November 2026. Sizes are the sizes Coveti lists for each piece. Where the house does not publish a value, the cell says so.

Our picks

1. Alta Marea Brooch in Gold

An elongated bar of hand-hammered brass with a pleated surface the house compares to sunlight on water. The slim shape suits draped fabric and high necklines. Also in a silver tone.

2. Mezzanotte Brooch in Gold

The house crescent moon in pleated brass, hammered by hand. Taller Marmo shows it at the base of a scarf neckline. Also in a silver tone.

3. Brooches from other houses

For feathers, the Carla Zampatti Floss Feather Brooch; for a modern classic, the Versace Safety Pin Brooch; for colour, the La DoubleJ Dragonfly Brooch.

Where to pin a brooch

On a scarf neckline. Pin where the scarf crosses, to hold it and to decorate it. The high scarf necks on the California Kaftan and the Florinda Moiree Dress are ideal.

At a high collar. Set a bar brooch just below the collar line, slightly to one side.

On a coat. Higher than you think, near the collarbone, reads modern.

At the waist. A brooch can close a wrap and hold a draped panel in place.

How to protect fine fabric

Pin through a double layer where you can, such as a seam and a hem. On silk and satin, push the pin through the weave rather than piercing a thread, and remove the brooch before you hang the garment. A small square of matching fabric behind the pin spreads the weight on chiffon.

Brooches around the world

United States. About 22,000 searches a month in our data, peaking in the holiday season.

India. About 21,000 searches a month, where brooches are worn on sherwanis, sarees and dupattas.

United Kingdom. About 8,400 searches a month, with a long tradition of the brooch on tailoring.

Gulf. A brooch on a kaftan scarf neckline is an elegant way to hold the drape at weddings and Eid.

Types of brooch

Bar brooch. A long, slim pin, like the Alta Marea, that sits neatly on a collar and a scarf.

Figurative brooch. A shape such as a moon, a flower and an insect. The Mezzanotte crescent belongs here.

Feather and fabric brooches. Soft and light, for evening and hats.

Kilt pins and safety pins. Long pins worn through a fold, a modern favourite on knitwear.

How to style brooches by garment

Kaftans. Pin at the base of the scarf neck to hold the drape. Taller Marmo shows the Mezzanotte Brooch this way.

Blazers and coats. On the lapel near the collarbone, then in a small cluster of two to three.

Knitwear. On a crew neck, slightly off centre, through two layers of knit.

Silk scarves. To fasten a scarf worn as a cowl, pinned through the overlap.

Hats and bags. On a hat band and the strap of a bag for a quieter touch.

Wearing more than one brooch

Group by metal and shape. Two Alta Marea bars side by side read as one design; a moon beside a bar reads as a story. Keep a cluster within a hand’s width and to one side of the body.

What to look for when buying a brooch

• The fastening. A firm pin with a secure catch. Taller Marmo uses a pin fastening on both its brooches.
• The weight. Heavy brooches need a tailored fabric; light ones suit silk.
• The back. Smooth backs protect fine cloth.

Frequently asked questions

Which side do you wear a brooch on?

Traditionally the left, near the heart. Today either side works; aim for slightly off centre near the collarbone.

Can you wear a brooch on a dress?

Yes. Pin it at the neckline, the shoulder and the waist, through a seam where possible.

What are the Taller Marmo brooches made of?

Brass, shaped and hammered by hand in Italy, with a pin fastening.

Will a brooch damage silk?

It can if the pin catches a thread. Pin through a seam, slide the pin between threads and take it off before hanging the garment.

Are brooches in style?

Yes. Designers have brought brooches back on scarves, knitwear and evening dresses, and they are one of the most searched jewellery terms in our data.

Can men wear brooches?

Yes, on a lapel and a coat. The bar shape of the Alta Marea Brooch sits especially well on tailoring.

See also our guides to how to wear a brooch, Schiaparelli brooches and Taller Marmo jewellery.

Curated by the Coveti Studio.