Jewellery for a Bride in a Suit
A bride in a suit chooses jewellery by her shirt. With a tie, wear a tie bar, a collar pin and small earrings. With an open collar, wear a short chain. Cufflinks need French cuffs. Size every piece to your own lapel and cuff, and keep one focal point near the face. If the other bride wears a dress, share one metal and one stone.
Start with the shirt and the collar
A suit adds four places for jewellery: the lapel, the collar, the tie and the shirt cuffs. The shirt decides which of these you use. Make this choice first, then pick the jewellery.
- Shirt and tie: a tie bar or tie clip, a collar pin or collar bar, cufflinks if the shirt has the right cuffs, and small earrings.
- Shirt and bow tie: cufflinks, a lapel pin and earrings. A collar bar does not work under a bow tie.
- Open collar, no tie: a short chain or pendant at the neck, plus cufflinks or a bracelet.
- No shirt, or a camisole under the jacket: treat the neckline like a dress neckline, with a necklace, earrings or both.
Cufflinks
Cufflinks need a shirt with French cuffs, which fold back and close with a cufflink, or a convertible cuff that has both a button and a cufflink hole. Check your shirt's cuffs: a shirt with button cuffs only has no hole for a cufflink. If you want cufflinks, buy a shirt made for them, or ask a tailor whether your shirt can have cufflink holes added.
Check the sleeve length of the jacket. For cufflinks to show, the shirt cuff needs to extend past the jacket sleeve when your arms are at your sides. Cufflinks sized for a man's shirt can look large on a narrow women's cuff, so hold them against your own cuff before you buy. Our page on cufflinks and accessories explains the different backs and how each one fastens. If you want cufflinks to match your bride's jewellery, ask us what we can make.
Tuxedo shirts and shirt studs
Some tuxedo shirts close with shirt studs in place of buttons down the front. Studs are small decorative fasteners that push through holes in the shirt. They come in sets, and can be bought with matching cufflinks, and they add a line of small points of metal or stone down the centre of the shirt. If you wear a tuxedo shirt, choose studs in the same metal as your cufflinks and rings. Pearl or mother-of-pearl studs match pearl earrings on the other bride. Check that the studs are small enough for the holes in a women's shirt before the day.
Collar pins, collar bars and tie bars
These pieces hold the collar and tie in place and add a line of metal near the face. Gentleman's Gazette describes the classic collar pin as looking like a large safety pin. It goes through the collar and leaves two small holes, which usually close after laundering. A collar bar has a clasp at each end that holds the collar points together. A barbell style needs a collar with two holes made for it. All three sit under the knot of a long tie, so save them for a shirt and tie.
A tie bar or tie clip holds the tie flat against the shirt. An Offbeat Wed article on tie clips points out that if you wear a tie without a jacket, for example outdoors or at the reception, a clip keeps the tie in place. Place the bar across the tie at the height of the lower chest, between two shirt buttons. Choose a bar that is shorter than the width of the tie, so it does not stick out past the edges.
An Equally Wed suit style guide for a lesbian bride suggests a skinny tie to keep the line of the suit long and lean. A narrow tie needs a short tie bar.
Lapel pins and brooches
A pin or brooch on the lapel is the most visible piece of jewellery on a suit. Wil Valor, a maker of women's wedding suits, suggests a brooch on the lapel by its own account, and mentions a vintage brooch from a loved one or a custom lapel pin as personal choices.
Wear the pin on the left lapel, where a boutonniere goes, and match its size to the width of the lapel. A narrow lapel needs a small pin. A wide lapel can hold a larger brooch. In the WeddingWire guide to lesbian wedding attire, Whitney Teal notes that brides in suits often wear a boutonniere, so tell your florist early. If you wear both, put the flower on the left and the pin on the right, or choose a pin that holds the flower. If you want a lapel pin in solid gold to match your rings, ask us what we can make.
Chains and pendants with an open collar
An open collar leaves a small V of skin at the neck. A short chain or a small pendant that sits inside that V suits it. A long chain will disappear under the shirt and jacket. Choose a chain length that sits just below the collarbone, and test it with the shirt buttoned the way you will wear it on the day. Our necklace length guide and chain types guide show the options, and chains and bracelets covers heavier links.
Earrings
With a suit, earrings sit close to the lapel and collar, so they need to work with those lines. The Equally Wed guide suggests pearl studs as a link to classic bridal style and advises keeping jewellery simple. Wil Valor's guide says, by its own account, that larger earrings can frame the face when a suit has a sleek lapel or an open neckline, and suggests an ear cuff for a bride wearing her hair back.
A good rule is one focal point near the face. If you wear a bold lapel pin, keep the earrings small. If you wear larger earrings, choose a small pin or none.
Watches and bracelets
A watch goes well with a suit. Match its metal to your cufflinks or rings. Wil Valor's guide suggests that a cuff bracelet or bangle can add interest without clashing with tailored sleeves. Check the fit with your jacket on: a bracelet that slides under the shirt cuff is hidden, and a wide bracelet can catch on the jacket lining. Wear the watch and the bracelet on different wrists if both feel crowded.
Rings with a suit
Your engagement ring and wedding band are the same rings whether you wear a dress or a suit. When your hands rest on pockets or lapels in photos, your rings show. A bride in a suit may prefer a wider band, or a band with a flush-set stone that does not catch on pockets. Our pages on wedding bands for two brides, band width and profile and gender-neutral engagement rings cover ring choices in detail. Every Vanhess ring is made to order in any size and any width.
Proportions on a woman's suit
A suit cut for a woman can have a narrower lapel, a shorter tie and a smaller shirt cuff than a suit cut for a man. Accessories sold for men's suits can look too large on it. Hold each piece against your own suit before you buy. Look at the size of the cufflink face against the cuff, the length of the tie bar against the tie, and the size of the pin against the lapel. If a piece covers most of the area it sits on, it is too big.
When the other bride wears a dress
A suit and a dress are easy to pair, because the jewellery sits in different places. Teal's WeddingWire guide notes that with one suit and one dress, clashing is less likely, especially with a shared colour palette. To link your two looks:
- Use the same metal colour for both brides.
- Repeat one stone: pearl cufflinks for the bride in the suit and pearl earrings for the bride in the dress.
- Match your lapel pin to a flower in her bouquet.
- Keep your tie or pocket square in her dress accent colour.
A checklist for the wedding morning
- Put cufflinks into the shirt before you put the jacket on.
- Fasten the collar pin or bar before you tie the tie.
- Pin the lapel pin with the jacket on, so you can see where it sits.
- Have the person helping you dress check that the tie bar is level.
- Keep a spare earring back in a pocket.
Our page on bridal jewellery for two brides covers the dress side and how to plan both looks together.
Pendants for an open collar
Short pendants that sit inside the collar of a suit and can be matched to the other bride's earrings.
Luna Pearl NecklaceFrom $150 CAD
Homeland PendantFrom $350 CAD
Little Heart NecklaceFrom $120 CAD
Gemsign Sapphire Charm NecklaceFrom $165 CAD
Gemsign Peridot Charm NecklaceFrom $165 CAD
Devine Eye NecklaceFrom $75 CAD
Always You NecklaceFrom $155 CAD
Evelyn Pearl NecklaceFrom $160 CAD
Sources
- Gentleman's Gazette, Collar Pin, Collar Bar & Clips Guide (Sven Raphael Schneider), 2010-04-11. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Offbeat Wed, Use tie clips to inject personality into your wedding day (while also keeping your tie out of your face). Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Equally Wed, Suit Style Spotlight: J.Crew for the Sporty Lesbian Bride (Ryan Roschke). Accessed 2026-10-18.
- Wil Valor, Tips for Accessorising Wedding Suits for Women, 2025-05-21. Accessed 2026-10-18.
- WeddingWire, Lesbian Wedding Attire Decoded: Fashion Ideas for Your Big Day (Whitney Teal), 2018-04-26. Accessed 2026-10-18.
Frequently Asked Questions
What jewellery should a bride wear with a wedding suit?
A bride in a wedding suit can wear jewellery on the lapel, the collar, the tie and the cuffs, as well as earrings and rings. Choose by the shirt: with a tie, add a tie bar and a collar pin; with an open collar, add a short chain. Keep one focal point near the face, such as a lapel pin or larger earrings.
Can a woman wear cufflinks with a women's shirt?
A woman can wear cufflinks with a women's shirt if the shirt has French cuffs or convertible cuffs with a cufflink hole. A shirt with button cuffs only has no hole for a cufflink, so check before you buy. A tailor may be able to add cufflink holes. Make sure the shirt cuff shows past the jacket sleeve, or the cufflinks will be hidden.
What is the difference between a collar pin and a collar bar?
A collar pin goes through the shirt collar like a large safety pin, while a collar bar clips onto the two collar points with a clasp at each end. Gentleman's Gazette notes that a collar pin leaves two small holes, which usually close after laundering. Both sit under the tie knot, so neither works with a bow tie.
Where does a tie bar go on a woman's tie?
A tie bar on a woman's tie goes across the tie at the height of the lower chest, between two shirt buttons. Choose a bar that is shorter than the width of the tie, so it does not stick out past the edges. If your tie is narrow, a short tie bar or a small tie clip fits best.
Which lapel does a brooch or lapel pin go on?
A brooch or lapel pin usually goes on the left lapel, where a boutonniere would sit. If your suit has a buttonhole in the lapel, place the pin through it or close to it. Match the size of the pin to the width of the lapel: a narrow lapel needs a small pin, and a wide lapel can hold a larger brooch.
Can I wear a lapel pin and a boutonniere together?
You can wear a lapel pin and a boutonniere together if each has its own place. Put the boutonniere on the left lapel and the pin on the right, or choose a pin designed to hold the flower. Tell your florist early about the suit, so the flower is sized for your lapel and does not cover the pin.
What necklace goes with an open-collar suit?
An open-collar suit looks best with a short chain or a small pendant that sits inside the V of the collar, just below the collarbone. A long chain disappears under the shirt and jacket. Test the length with the shirt buttoned the way you will wear it on the wedding day, because one button changes where the chain shows.
What earrings go with a suit and a tie?
Earrings with a suit and a tie should be small, such as studs, small hoops or pearl studs, because the tie, collar pin and lapel already add detail near the face. Equally Wed's suit guide suggests pearl studs and keeping jewellery simple. If you skip the tie and wear an open collar, larger earrings can work.
How do I match my suit jewellery to my bride's dress jewellery?
Suit jewellery matches a bride's dress jewellery when both use the same metal colour and repeat one stone or shape. For example, the bride in the suit wears pearl cufflinks and the bride in the dress wears pearl earrings. You can also match a lapel pin to a flower in her bouquet, so the two looks share one detail.
Are men's cufflinks too big for a woman's shirt?
Men's cufflinks can look too big on a woman's shirt, because a woman's shirt cuff can be narrower. Hold the cufflinks against your own cuff before you buy. If the cufflink face covers most of the cuff, choose a smaller size. Small round or bar-shaped cufflinks usually suit a narrow cuff better than large square faces.
Can I wear a watch with my wedding suit?
A watch goes well with a wedding suit and can be one of the pieces that links your look to your bride's. Match the watch metal to your cufflinks or rings. Check that the shirt cuff fits over or next to the watch with your jacket on. If you also wear a bracelet, put it on the other wrist.