Oscars '26: The Power of the Pin by Veridiana Gordilho

by Veridiana Gordilho

Just as we watch the Met Gala for our favorite celebrity looks, we do the same for any major event, even those that focus on talent. The Oscars were created to celebrate films and to recognize all the work that goes into making them. However, movies are not the only thing people comment on at events like these. On the red carpet, every garment and every detail is carefully chosen to showcase someone’s personality or tell a story. At the 2026 Oscars, a fashion trend emerged that gave boring, plain, classic black tuxedos a charm of their own. How did they do it? Through the use of brooches.

For many years, when we thought of men on the red carpet, our minds went straight to tailored suits, crisp shirts, polished shoes, and minimal accessories. But things have changed. Contemporary fashion is rooted in embracing individuality and storytelling, and the basic suit was starting to limit men’s self-expression. The brooch solves this problem by being a detail that doesn’t disrupt the structure of the look but elevates it. In a way, that small element offers the viewer a point of focus and a hint of personality.

At the Oscars, this addition became very visible, as many actors and public figures began incorporating that accessory in an effortless yet meaningful way. The nice thing about brooches is that they can take many shapes and forms. Some people choose delicate ones that are almost invisible against their clothes. Others opt for glamorous, eye-catching pieces, turning their garments into the backdrop for the accessory itself. The placement also varies, from near the collar to the pocket, making the brooch a flexible styling tool rather than a fixed accessory.

Besides being undeniably aesthetic, the brooch also carries a long history of symbolism. Unlike most accessories that are mainly decorative, brooches have been used to communicate political, social, and personal messages. This historical context adds more depth to their resurgence, especially in environments such as the Oscars, where visibility is global, and meaning is amplified. What appears on the red carpet often signals rising trends, which can also be seen as a reflection of our society and the times we are living in. In my view, the use of striking brooches in a black sea of tuxedos tells us that, in a world where we are encouraged to be silent, we still have the power to speak up. And that is the most interesting part of brooches: their meaning is ambiguous. They can stand for something bigger, or maybe someone just liked how a piece looked and decided to wear it. Either way, a brooch invites the audience to look closer, to question, to engage.

Throughout history, brooches and pins have served as tools of protest and solidarity. Even recently, we have seen brooches bear words and images tied to movements against injustice. A well-known example is the Time’s Up pins worn during award season in 2018, which turned the red carpet into a space for collective statement-making. Another more recent example appeared mainly at the Grammys, where artists such as Justin Bieber wore “ICE OUT” brooches. However, brooches have not only been used in times of injustice, but also to honor causes and commemorate events.

I strongly believe that the brooch’s resurgence is about more than style; it is about reclaiming the power of detail. It recognizes that fashion does not need to be loud to be meaningful. Sometimes, all it takes to get a message across is a small pin.