Brooches carry a reputation for being old-fashioned, which is entirely about placement. Pinned low on a cardigan, a brooch ages you. Pinned high on a lapel as the only piece you are wearing, it looks deliberate and modern. Here is the practical guide.
Key facts
| Default placement | High on the left lapel, level with the top button |
|---|---|
| Best fabric | Structured wool, tweed, denim, heavy cotton |
| Hardest fabric | Fine knit and silk, which need a backing disc |
| Scale for outerwear | Around 6 cm |
| Fastening to look for | Bar pin with a roll-over safety catch |
| Rule | One brooch, worn alone, against a plain ground |
The placement rule
High and left, roughly level with the top button of a jacket. That single adjustment is the difference between a brooch that looks styled and one that looks inherited.
The reason is proportion. Jewellery near the face gets read as part of the outfit, and jewellery near the waist gets read as an afterthought. If in doubt, pin it higher than feels natural.
By garment
- Blazer and suit jacket. The lapel, left side. The classic and the easiest.
- Wool coat. Same height, larger brooch. This is where a 6 cm piece earns its keep.
- Fine knit. Use a backing disc, and choose a lighter brooch. Fine gauge pulls.
- Denim jacket. Chest pocket and collar point. Denim takes weight well.
- Scarf. Through both layers at the neck, doubling as a fastening.
- Beret and felt hat. Front left, angled with the hat.
- Bag strap. A modern option that keeps the piece visible without touching your clothes.
Scale and weight
Match the brooch to the cloth. Heavy wool carries a substantial cast piece. Silk and fine knit do not, and a heavy brooch on thin fabric will tip forward and sag no matter how well it is pinned.
On outerwear, small brooches vanish. Around 6 cm is the size that reads properly on a coat from conversational distance, which is what the Alexandra Hakim Golden Horseshoe Brooch is designed around.
Fastenings and fabric care
A bar pin with a roll-over safety catch is what you want. Open pins work loose, and a brooch that falls off a coat in a city street is gone.
To protect fabric: pass the pin through twice, taking a small bite of cloth rather than a wide one, and use a backing disc on anything delicate. Pin along the grain of a knit, never across it.
Making it look current
Three things keep a brooch modern. Wear one, not a cluster. Put it on something plain, so the brooch is the only ornament in that area. And choose a piece with a clear shape rather than a fussy one.
A talisman shape does this well, because it reads instantly. A horseshoe is legible at a glance and carries a meaning, which stops it reading as pure decoration.
Choosing your first brooch
Three things to look for if you have never worn one.
- A clear shape. Something legible at conversational distance. A talisman like a horseshoe works because it reads instantly.
- Around 6 cm. Large enough to register on a coat. Smaller pieces are for lapels and collars only.
- A proper fastening. A bar pin with a roll-over safety catch, which is what stops a brooch being lost in the street.
Brooches on modern clothes
The received wisdom assumes a tailored jacket, and most people are not wearing one daily. The good news is that a brooch works on plenty of things that are not a blazer.
A denim jacket takes weight easily and the collar point is a good position. A trench lapel works exactly like a blazer. A crew-neck sweatshirt takes a brooch high on the chest, slightly off-centre, which looks intentional rather than formal. And a bag strap keeps the piece visible without touching your clothes at all.
What not to do
- Do not pin low. Near the waist reads as an afterthought. Keep it above the sternum.
- Do not centre it. A brooch dead-centre on the chest looks like a badge. Off to one side is correct.
- Do not add a necklace. Both occupy the same visual space and cancel out.
- Do not put a heavy brooch on thin silk. It will sag and eventually mark the fabric.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you pin a brooch?
High on the left lapel, roughly level with the top button. Pinning low, near the waist and on a cardigan hem, is what makes a brooch look dated.
Are brooches still fashionable?
Yes. They have returned steadily, helped by the fact that a brooch is the only piece of jewellery that works on outerwear, where necklaces and earrings are hidden.
How do you wear a brooch on a knit without damaging it?
Use a backing disc to spread the load, take a small bite of yarn rather than a wide one, and pin along the grain of the knit rather than across it.
Can men wear brooches?
Yes. A single brooch on a jacket lapel is a long-established piece of men’s tailoring, and the same placement rule applies.
Should you wear more than one brooch?
Usually not. A cluster is a deliberate and difficult look. One brooch against a plain ground is what reads as considered.
What is a good first brooch to buy?
Something with a clear shape at around 6 cm, on a bar pin with a safety catch. A talisman shape such as a horseshoe works well because it reads instantly at a distance.
Can you wear a brooch with a necklace?
It is best avoided. A lapel brooch and a necklace occupy the same visual area and compete, so pick one and keep the other area plain.
Read next
- The horseshoe brooch, explained
- How to style Alexandra Hakim
- The Canter horseshoe collection
- The Alexandra Hakim edit
Sources
- Alexandra Hakim, About the designer
- Alexandra Hakim, Jewellery care
- Arab News, Lebanese designer using natural resources to make jewelry
- FashionUnited, Career Q and A with Alexandra Hakim
Prices and stock are as listed on Coveti at the time of writing and change with availability.
Written by Gemma Deeks, Fashion Editor at Coveti.
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