How to Wear a Brooch in 2026: Lapels, Collars, Berets and the Surrealist Cluster
Your grandmother's brooch is having a moment, and it is no longer polite. Fashion editors have been calling brooches one of 2026's defining accessories, and winter is when they earn their keep: you live in the same coat for four months, and a pin is the one piece of jewelry anyone actually sees. Here's where to put it, and what to put there.
The quick answer
- Your first brooch: the REGALIA Gemstone Brooch ($15), pinned high on a coat lapel. Twenty baroque designs, from crowns to crosses.
- The art-girl pick: the HANDS Sculptural Brooch ($25), 4 to 5 inches of polished metal hands. One is enough.
- The holiday party trick: the ALLI Faux Collar ($30) over a black knit, with a brooch at the throat.
- The gift: the EQUUS Horse Head Brooch ($40), micro-set in cubic zirconia. 2026 is the Year of the Horse.
1. On the coat lapel
The classic, done bigger. Pin it high, just under the collar notch, not over your heart like a name tag.
REGALIA Gemstone Brooch
$15
Baroque gold-tone metalwork dense with cabochons, faceted glass stones and pearls, with a locking pin back. Crown Jewel, Ruby Pinwheel or Skull Medallion on a black wool coat looks like an heirloom you stole.
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EQUUS Horse Head Brooch
$40
A horse head in 18k gold or platinum-plated copper, micro-set with cubic zirconia and a green zircon eye. Small enough for a blazer lapel, sparkly enough for the holiday party.
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HANDLE Brooch Pin
$30
A 4-inch door handle in polished stainless steel, faux screws and all, with a dual locking bar pin. Wear it horizontally across a coat pocket. Deadpan is a style.
Shop now2. At the throat: brooch plus collar
Sweater season's best trick. Add a collar, then pin a brooch where the points meet.
ALLI Faux Collar
$30
A detachable structured collar edged in dangling rhinestones or pearls, in black or white. Slip it over a crewneck, then add a REGALIA at the center for full old-world drama.
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ODILE Collar
$25
A winged white collar with sharp, sculpted points and a slender ribbon tie. Skip the bow and pin a brooch at the neck instead. Victorian, but make it downtown.
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3. On your hat
A brooch on a hat looks like millinery. It's the move nobody else at the party made.
CLEO Beret
$40
A teardrop French beret in polyester-wool knit with a structured, sculptural crown. Pin a brooch on the side where it tilts. Black with a gold brooch is the safest bet in the room.
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JETSET Hat
$61
A 100% wool felt pillbox with a softly pinched teardrop crown, in ivory, black, beige, brown or burgundy. A jeweled pin on the front turns it into something you'd wear to a holiday lunch with a long coat.
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4. The surrealist cluster
Hands, faces and figures. Wear one alone, or pin two or three together on one lapel so they read as a single piece.
HANDS Sculptural Brooch
$25
Elongated, interlaced hands in high-polish metal, 4 to 5 inches tall, in gold or silver, as a pair or a single hand. Big enough to anchor a lapel or the shoulder of a black dress on its own.
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OK PINCH Brooch
$25
A pinched-fingers hand gesture in high-polish gold or silver, about 2.8 inches tall. The smaller hand, so it's the one to cluster with the others.
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LE VISAGE Brooch
$25
A half-face relief portrait in polished gold or silver-tone alloy, 3.1 by 1.6 inches. Pin it on a turtleneck at the collarbone and let people stare back.
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FIGURE Brooch
$22
A 4-inch elongated human form in high-polish copper and zinc alloy, like a tiny museum sculpture on a pin. Wear it vertically on a blazer lapel so the figure stands.
Shop nowFrequently asked questions
Are brooches in style in 2026?
Yes. Brooches have been one of the most talked-about accessories of 2026, and they're especially useful in winter, when a coat covers everything else. An easy start is the REGALIA Gemstone Brooch ($15).
Where should you pin a brooch on a coat?
High on the left lapel, just below the collar notch. For a larger piece like the 4-inch HANDLE Brooch Pin ($30), try it horizontally across a pocket.
How do you wear a brooch with a sweater?
Pin it at the collarbone of a turtleneck, or add a detachable collar like the ALLI Faux Collar ($30) or ODILE Collar ($25) and pin the brooch where the points meet.
Can you wear more than one brooch?
Yes. Cluster two or three on one lapel so they read as one piece. The HANDS ($25), OK PINCH ($25) and LE VISAGE ($25) brooches work together in matching gold or silver.
What's a good brooch gift under $50?
The EQUUS Horse Head Brooch ($40) feels the most special, with cubic zirconia and a green zircon eye. Under $25, the REGALIA ($15) or FIGURE ($22) brooches make easy stocking stuffers.