Lapel Pins Are Menswear’s Most Slept-On Accessory

Style is a platform for self-expression. We tend to things that agree with us and eschew those that don’t.

The effect of that paradigm, though, is a contradiction of its stated goal: take no sartorial risks and we all end up looking like sheeple.

We’re not saying throw your whole wardrobe out and start over. Rather, we’d like to emphasize the importance of details — namely, the lapel pin, a subtle, low-risk way to add some personality to an otherwise standard outfit.

Its variations are many, its level of accessibility high. And even at its most basic — say, a knit flower peeking from the lapel buttonhole of a suit jacket — the effect can be startlingly charming.

This seems like a safe bet. Now where do they go on my suit jacket? Think of it as a badge. More often than not, you’ll have a lapel buttonhole stitched into the upper-left-hand side of your jacket.

Hook & Albert

OK. It’s there. Now help me get all dandy-like. The suit lapel pin typically comes in the form of a faux flower. They also go by the name boutonnieres. You probably wore one to prom. Whatever you wanna call them, we recommend starting with the reasonably priced options at Tie Bar. For more playful options, check out Hook + Albert.

J. Press

But I don’t want to rock a flower. Any more options? Sure. A few stylish men have taken to repurposing silk cufflinks as a less garish option. New York’s J. Press has a nice selection to choose from.

Pintrill

Suiting is one thing. What about for my jean jacket? So many options. And this is where it gets fun. The new age of enamel pins involves a wide array of pictograms and emoji-like emblems; all you gotta do is look for ones that allow you to do you. Our favorite shops:

• Prize Pins
• Inner Decay
• Pintrill
• Strange Ways
• T’s for G’s

That’s a lotta pins. But question: aren’t pins for, like, kids? Used to be, sure. But we like to think of enamel pins as the grown man’s graphic tee. Same playful expression, but much more subtle and subversive.