The Unbuttoned Collar: How Men’s Jewellery Lost its Starch

In 1812, Lord Byron attended a society ball with a simple gold chain tucked into his open-necked shirt. It was not the chain itself that raised whispers but the deliberate display of a personal talisman against bare skin. At a time when gentlemen’s jewellery was rigorously hidden beneath starched cravats, Byron’s gesture was a quiet rebellion – a promise that the most intimate objects could also be the most visible.

From Starch to Silk

Isabel Marant’s Spring 2027 menswear show felt like a direct descendant of that scandalous evening. Jackets hung unbuttoned, shirts were left half-open, and the only punctuation came from heavy gold chains that fell against bare chests. Marant has long understood that dressing with ease does not mean dressing without intention. Her latest collection suggests that the most potent piece of jewellery a man can wear is one that is not trying too hard – a thick curb link in matte 18K gold, a rough-cut diamond stud, a signet ring worn with the stone facing inwards.

This is not the formal, polished jewellery of boardrooms and black-tie dinners. It belongs to the man who lets his collar lie where it falls, who chooses a chunky chain over a tie, who understands that weight and texture matter more than shine. The message is clear: men’s fine jewellery is shedding its starch.

The Return of the Talisman

What makes this shift so compelling is the return of the talisman – pieces with personal meaning worn openly. A heavy gold chain can carry a single ancient coin, a tiny rough diamond, or a small Roman intaglio. These are not status symbols in the old sense; they are quiet anchors of identity. At Gioielleria Patricia Oro, we see this in the rising demand for unpolished gold collars, for men’s rings that bear inscriptions, for bracelets built from natural coral or lava beads.

The new mood asks for pieces that look as though they have been lived in. A polished surface now feels too rehearsed. Instead, the desirable finish is a subtle bloom – the soft glow of 18K gold that has been brushed, hammered, or left slightly rough. This is jewellery that does not shout, yet occupies space with a calm, confident weight.

Byron would recognise it instantly. The unbuttoned collar still carries the same promise: the most elegant thing a man can wear is his own story, told in gold.