How to Wear a Lapel Pin at Business Events

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Fashion icons will tell you that, style is all about the details.

It entails incorporating your signature personality to any look. And what a better way to do this than by wearing a lapel pin. Classically old school and splendidly decorous, the lapel pin adds a stylish look to any outfit.

Originally, the sole purpose of a lapel pin was to symbolize one’s affiliations or membership to certain groups. In today’s world, lapel pins have become the embodiment of classical coolness.

They not only add a sense of personality and style but also restore glory to your old suits.

So whether you’re attending a corporate event or a casual dinner date on the weekend, a lapel pin will give you that contemporary look and feel that will bump up your confidence level. In this post, you’ll learn how to wear a lapel pin the right way.

What is a Lapel Pin?

Before we delve into the rules of wearing a lapel pin, let’s get to the basics first.

We begin with the “lapel” itself, which is the edged part on each side of a suit jacket immediately below the collar, which is usually folded back on both sides of the front opening.

A lapel pin is a decorative trinket of a kind that is worn on the lapel of a suit jacket, blazer, or a coat. Custom lapel pins are great for creating a sense of camaraderie at formal events. Perfect for teams, clubs, and professional organizations, lapel pins allow members to show their allegiance while maintaining stylish looks.

A lapel pin may also be used to indicate a person’s area of interest. For example, a wrestler may wear a lapel pin showing a championship belt, or a tennis player may wear one depicting tennis rackets.

How to Wear a Lapel Pin

When it comes to wearing a lapel pin, there is only one golden rule: to wear it approximately where the buttonhole is or would be. That is on the upper part of the left lapel.

Note that some modern suits have buttonholes on both lapels, but a lapel pin should always be worn on the left-side lapel.

If your suit jacket or blazer doesn’t have a buttonhole, you can always pierce the pin through the fabric. The pin will create a tiny hole that won’t be visible after removing the lapel pin, so it won’t damage your coat.

Alternatively, you can ask your tailor to sew an unobtrusive thread on the left lapel as the thread can hold the lapel pin in place, eliminating the need to punch holes through the fabric. The pin itself, if visible, should run parallel to your lapel instead of across or straight. This is particularly important for pins with long stems as the wrong positioning may ruin the effect.

Wrapping Up

There is a lapel pin for every event. The secret is to wear one that is appropriate for the venue or event you’re attending.

For example, guests at a wedding may not need to know that you were the best employee of the year in your company, no matter how proud you may be of it. Instead, a stylish boutonniere that pairs with one of the colors in your outfit will be the best for that occasion.

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