Chanel-Inspired Floral Brooches Have Become My Favorite Winter-to-Spring Styling Trick

I had been craving a fun, textural faux flower brooch ever since I saw this stunning Dorothée L'a Fait one from the meticulously curated collection of my friend Melissa Ventosa Martin’s retail project, Old Stone Trade. Then, Matthieu Blazy accessorized his debut at Chanel with spikey, feathery chrysanthemums instead of compact and tidy camelias, and I knew I had to do something about it.

Alas, my budget fell more into the Etsy range—and I was thrilled to discover that NYC institution and famed silk flower maker M&S Schmalberg offered a selection of its beauties on the retail platform. Deciding on a color was trickier than I thought: Black felt too somber, white too bridal, red too holiday-specific. I wanted one that could get a lot of play (well, as much as a fluffy faux flower could get without veering into clown territory). I opted for an unusual soft butter yellow to add a little sunny contrast against tonal winter layers, plus to carry me into spring’s pastels.

I made the correct choice: This fluffy flower brought a bright spot of spring optimism to the all-black or gloomy grey outfits I try to avoid in this drawn-out season, but are inevitable fallbacks when cold-weather bundling. Turns out a dose of whimsy is just what my winterwear needed. Here’s how I did it.

Pinned on a Jacket

This was the low-hanging fruit of my faux flower styling and possibly the easiest one to get away with. I wore it to a doctor’s appointment on a warmer winter day, and felt proud to be so intentional with accessorizing an otherwise very regular outfit. A go-to tweed jacket over a denim tuxedo and layering turtleneck was a great base for this little bloom, and the beret and boots gave a ‘90s-meets-Annie-Hall feel to the whole thing, which I didn’t hate.

Pinned to a Bag

A polished antidote to bag charm fever, I strongly endorse pinning a silk flower to the chain strap of your bag. Using a patent hobo from Chanel, the pin felt like an of-the-moment nod to the brand’s Spring 2026 collection, where chrysanthemum-like petals took over earrings, ball skirts, and tweed jacket lapels. This elegant pop of pastel to an otherwise bulky all-black winter look felt breezy, effortless, and dare I say, French?

Pinned to a Cardigan

An old-school styling hack I’ve used more times than I’d like to admit is a brooch at the top button of a cardigan. I have a go-to little cashmere one from Free People with pearl buttons, and the flirtiness of it played into the fluffy petals perfectly for a date-night take on this accessorizing challenge.