Can You Wear a Lapel Pin with a Pocket Square?
There's are line between tacky and sophisticated when it comes to fashion forward dressing and it's sometimes hard to know when you've crossed the line. In order to be admired for your style, you have to demonstrate your ability to take risks and put your most fashionable foot forward when it counts. However, what's even more admirable is knowing when to stop before things get overdone. This is something that takes a bit of insight and wisdom.
When a lapel pin is paired with a pocket square, it can have either one of two impacts:
- Overdone
or
- Artistically sophisticated
Knowing how to achieve the latter requires restraint and a level of poise.
How to Style a Lapel Pin
It's important to strike the right balance between your tie, your lapel pin and your pocket square. Think about colour, texture and pattern. Not everything on your suit should make a loud statement because if you layer one statement piece on top of another, you will strike them both out completely. You don't want to cause visual disarray.
Rule 1: Out of your tie, your lapel pin and your pocket square, at least one has to be solid. That means no pattern.
Rule 2: Only two pieces, out of your tie, your pocket square, and your lapel pin, can be statement pieces.
Rule 3: Out of your tie, your lapel pin and your pocket square, at least two colours have to complement.
Figure 1.
Figure 1. shows a very balanced and safe combination of a tie, pocket square and lapel pin. It's clear that the tie and pocket square match in colour, so there's room to choose a quirky lapel pin. Pictured: Rabbit Lapel Pin.
Figure 2.
Figure 2. demonstrates a clever use of polka dot patterns to create harmony between accessories. Two accessories are patterned, whereas the pocket square remains plain.
Figure 3.
Figure 3. displays a clever use of colour arrangement. The lapel pin complements the tie yet pops against the deep colour of the suit. It doesn't clash with the pocket square as it matches the suit.
