Boutonnieres and Lapel Pins

Lapel pins and boutonnieres have gotten a bit of a bad rap. Perhaps it’s because they’ve been unfortunately associated with politicians and teenagers at senior prom, who are some of the worst dressed people on earth. This has more to do with their ill-fitting suits, however, and not what they use to decorate their lapels. In fact, if it’s done well, tacking on something to your lapel can be a really stylish alternative to wearing a pocket square. It’s also easier to pull off, as you don’t have to coordinate fabrics, patterns, and colors. Having one or two options in the drawer can be a nice way to feel good again about an old blazer or sport coat, so let’s review some options. 



If you’ve been paying enough attention to menswear, you’ve probably seen a felt flower in some product shot or street style photo at some point. The original was by Lardini, who used to include these with every blazer they sold. However, they didn’t sell them as independent items, so getting one was a bit hard if you weren’t already going to buy a Lardini jacket. Fortunately, a few years ago, a Japanese menswear store named Strasburgo started making their own, and they looked identical to the ones by Lardini. You can get them at their Tokyo store for about $30. If you’re not in Tokyo, Japanese Goods Finder will pick one up and ship it to you for about $55. If that’s too much, there are cheaper options on Etsy for $18, but they don’t have the nice stitching detail that Strasburgo’s flowers have. Personally, I think they’re a poor substitute, but they can be an option if you truly can’t afford the extra $30. 



If the Strasburgo’s wool flowers are a bit too twee for you, check out these really nicely knitted ones from P. Johnson, a custom tailoring shop in Australia. These guys have a very mature, refined sensibility, and their flowers, though they bring some levity and playfulness, are still very elegant. You can buy them for $25 plus shipping (I was quoted $5 for shipping to the United States). If you’re interested, email enquiries@pjohnson.com.au to place an order. 



Franz Blumtritt and Sons was established in 1923 as a manufacturer of gamsbarts, which are decorative tufts of hair worn on the hats of hunters in the Alpine region of Europe. Sometime in the 1950s, one of original founder’s sons took some creative license and began making these feather boutonnieres, which are based off of the company’s original gamsbarts. Ninety-eight percent of the feathers come from hunters in Black Forest, Germany, which is where the company is located. If you’re not familiar with the region, you should do a Google Images search, as it’s incredibly idyllic. This plumage is a bit harder to pull off than the other options I’ll cover here, but it’s kind of nice to have such an innovative accessory from such a beautiful region. Buy one at the Cooper-Hewitt museum shop for $40. 



Isaia jackets come with a lapel pin of their logo - a piece of red coral. Naples, where the company is located, has a long tradition of making jewelry from coral, and the red coral symbolizes luck. Typically, you can only get one of these if you buy an Isaia jacket. Luckily for you, however, this eBay seller has auctions for these pins starting at $19.99. He lists two of them at a time and has about 30 in stock (so they’ll be reslisted for a while to come). A word of warning, however, if you wear this with your Alfani suit, you may get called out on your bluff. 

These deer head pins are another option on eBay. They come painted in either gold or silver and are made from pewter. I think they would look particularly nice on a tweed jacket. Some friends of mine run a clandestine dining operation called Stag Dining, and all the guys wear these on their shirt collars. It’s pretty great. Get one for about $8.50. 



You can find coin brooches pretty easily, especially on eBay. They tend to be vintage or antique, which makes them much more unique. I found this one with a 1914 Belgian coin through a quick Google search. The seller believes that a soldier put it together sometime during WWI. Talk about a conversation piece! He’s selling it for $35, but you can find many other similar ones on eBay if you search around. Just hunt. 



Lastly, there is of course the tried and true flower. From my experience, these can be a bit harder to pull off unless you’re a groom and it’s your wedding. If that’s the case, your flower should in some way complement your bride’s bouquet.

If you’re not at your wedding, the traditional choice for a flower is a carnation. You can choose white or red, but I personally find pink to be the easiest to pull off since it doesn’t look too formal. It also easily plays off the blues, grays, and browns that men typically wear. If a carnation feels a bit too formal still, try a white or yellow narcissus. 

If you decide to wear a flower, be sure to wrap the end of the stem with just a little bit of foil, so that your flower will remain fresh and your suit clean. You will also need to have a tailor prepare a small silk loop about half an inch down from your lapel buttonhole, so that you can keep the stem in place. 

To read a bit more about this subject, check out The Boutonniere: Style in One’s Lapel, by Umberto Angeloni, the global chairman of Brioni. It’s on eBay right now for ~$25. 

  1. foreclosure-listings reblogged this from dieworkwear
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  5. gadgetry reblogged this from noelanthony and added:
    Making an effort...reblog more “Men’s fashion,” which I adore, but do not post nearly...
  6. postmoderngentleman reblogged this from dieworkwear and added:
    Whoa someone applied
  7. theblueduck reblogged this from theodinspire
  8. itssony reblogged this from dieworkwear
  9. noelanthony reblogged this from dieworkwear and added:
    without it seeming cheesy.
  10. theodinspire reblogged this from dieworkwear and added:
    agree that boutonnieres should make...true floral ones, carnations
  11. nelsonhoward reblogged this from thesilentist and added:
    Why can’t politicians dress? Blue or black suit with blue or red tie=LAME.
  12. wakeupgetdressed reblogged this from dieworkwear and added:
    keep things simple, its easy...get some color into...somber...
  13. thesilentist reblogged this from dieworkwear and added:
    Die, Workwear!: Boutonnieres
  14. dieworkwear posted this