Nice Brooch, Bro

Stylish men are, increasingly, wearing jewellery-dog tags and identification bracelets need not apply.

- Victoria Gomelsky

FOR THE BETTER part of human history, men’s jewellery has been unequivocally in. That’s because power has long been synonymous with bejewelled adornment, from ancient Sumerian rulers buried in their gold chains to Indian maharajas festooned with garlands of rubies and diamonds. But the French Revolution marked a change, ushering in an era when men began to favour more utilitarian forms of dress. It wasn’t until the 1970s that men in America were encouraged to show their more ornamental sides again, from colourful suiting to long hair to necklaces.

But if watching male celebrities on the red carpet or National Basketball Association tunnel walks is your thing, you’ll know that men’s jewellery is in the swing of a fullblown renaissance. If you need a refresher, recall Game 2 of the National League Championship Series in 2021 when Joc Pederson, an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, caused a stir by wearing a strand of pearls that could have come straight off Audrey Hepburn. Today, that would hardly raise an eyebrow.