Lapel pins on a tuxedo: how to wear one with restraint

The lapel pin is the smallest accessory on a tuxedo and the easiest to get wrong. The rules come down to four things: left lapel, very small, a badge that means something to you, and never together with a flower. Follow those and the pin reads as a deliberate detail rather than an afterthought.

Where it goes: the left lapel

A pin sits on the left lapel, the same place a boutonniere goes. On many suits and peak-lapel dinner jackets, the left lapel has a working buttonhole meant for a flower, and the pin's stem passes through it and is held by a clutch on the inside. The right height is high on the lapel, near the roll line, slightly toward the shoulder and well clear of the breast pocket.

One note specific to tuxedos: many shawl-collar jackets are cut as a single satin facing with no buttonhole on the lapel. The pin then has to pierce the cloth itself, and in satin or silk a pin can leave a mark. If you plan to wear a pin regularly, tell your tailor at the fitting. A small buttonhole can be added to the lapel, or you can choose a pin with a fine stem so the hole stays hard to see.

Size: smaller than you think

On a dinner jacket the lapel is the main feature, and a pin should be an accent, not a rival. Most elegant lapel pins are around one to two centimetres across or long; larger than that and it begins to look like a uniform badge. People should notice it at conversation distance, not from across the ballroom.

Match the metal to your cufflinks and studs: gold with gold, silver with silver. A matte or dark-enamel face blends into black satin more calmly than a mirror-bright one.

A society or company badge

In practice, the most common pin in Vietnam is an organisation badge: a business association, a club, a professional body, or your own company's mark. Used in the right place, it tells people who you are as you walk into a room.

• One pin is enough. Two or three badges at once make you look like a noticeboard.
• Wear it when the event belongs to that organisation, or when you are representing it. At a friend's wedding, do not turn the pin into advertising.
• Choose a compact design in metal or single-colour enamel. Brightly printed, plastic or thickly plated badges belong with a work uniform more than a tuxedo.

If the pin is purely decorative, a minimal shape works: a small bar, an enamel dot, a tiny star. Avoid novelty shapes and large lettering.

Never with a flower

A boutonniere and a pin want the same spot on the left lapel. Putting both there is crowding, and the pin can bruise the petals. A simple guide:

Occasion	Use
Wedding, groom or groomsman	Boutonniere
Gala, conference, organisation event	Badge pin
Black-tie dinner with no special brief	One or the other, your choice

If you still want both, some men put the pin on the right lapel. It is not a formal rule, though you do see it on more individual evening looks, and it should only be done where the dress code allows. For balancing these small items, see boutonnieres and pocket squares.

The pin and your other accessories

The pin should not compete with the pocket square, bow tie or shirt studs. As a general principle, a tuxedo should have one point of sparkle around the chest. If you are already wearing bright studs and a patterned square, leave the pin off. If you wear only a white square, a small pin can be your single accent.

It helps to understand how the lapel is built; our piece on the tuxedo lapel buttonhole explains why some jackets have one and some do not. With a shawl lapel such as TUX-001, a black shawl-collar tuxedo in a raised weave, settle the pin question at the start so your tailor can prepare for it.

A word from the Mon Amie workroom

If you intend to wear a pin often, bring it to your fitting. The tailor will show you the position that flatters your lapel, add a buttonhole if needed, and check the weight so it does not pull the lapel down. Book a fitting at a showroom or see our bespoke tuxedo page.