Wear A Buttonhole Tonight

If you're wearing black tie tonight, and I certainly hope you are, remember to wear a boutonniere. A red carnation is the customary choice.

Though it's said to be a symbol of friendship in the U.S., perhaps a young and very serious looking Prince Michael of Kent is aware that in Germany a yellow rose is a sign of jealousy and infidelity.

Have a great evening!

Wear a Rose Tomorrow

If you're a boutonniere wearing man, tomorrow is St. George's Day, the one day of the year to wear a red rose in your lapel.

Should anyone ask you for the story of your rose, it is the symbol of the knight known for the legend of George and the Dragon. After George killed the beast and saved the princess, a red rose sprouted miraculously from a drop of the dragon's blood.

You just couldn't beat a story about a knight saving a princess from a dragon during the Middle Ages and George's legend was known across Europe. In real life a Roman soldier who was persecuted for his Christianity, he achieved sainthood in the tenth century and went on to become the patron saint of half a dozen countries, including England and Germany, and more cities including Moscow, Istanbul, and Venice.

Some four million roses will be purchased tomorrow in Catalonia alone, particularly Barcelona, where it is traditional to give a rose to your sweetheart or wife and receive a book in return. Those of us who don't live in Spain may have to be content with a rose in our lapels.

Reader Questions

From Matt
"I am getting married in a civil ceremony tomorrow and wanted some wardrobe advice. As this is going to be a quick, informal affair, I'm planning on wearing a blazer and trousers. I have a very nice dark brown jacket with a windowpane check. I was thinking of wearing khaki trousers and a light brown patterned tie with a white dress shirt. The pants and shirt seem a little pedestrian...should I go for a darker trouser or dress shirt?"

Congratulations! You don't have time to do anything complicated but if you'd like to look a bit more dressed consider a pair of tan gabardine trousers instead of the khakis. You should be able to get them tailored on the spot if you explain why you need them. In addition, either put a white pocket square in your jacket pocket or stop for a white carnation tomorrow morning.

What's in Your Lapel?

According to the author of The Boutonniere: Style in One's Lapel, wearing a boutonniere, or buttonhole, has never been particularly widespread. We see them today principally at weddings and specific occasions like Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth countries. Our days would be more pleasant if we saw them more often.

Some men probably fear the attention that might come with a buttonhole just as they fear the pocket square. To them I say that there's no need to push the envelope. Think of wearing a buttonhole as a replacement for a silk square, to be worn under the same circumstances. You'll be glad you did.

For day wear, avoid showy flowers in favor of blooms like red and pink carnations. Carnations, and their cousin the Sweet William, gained their popularity because they are among the very few flowers that remain fresh all day without water. Perennials, they are easily grown outdoors and bloom throughout most of the year in California. I have them in a box on my balcony in the City so I can cut one whenever the mood strikes but there's no need to go to that much trouble if you only wear a flower once in a while. The majority of florists I've entered have refused my offer to pay for a single carnation and the rest have been happy with a dollar.

Evening blooms need to remain fresh fewer hours, and that opens up your range of choices. The evening combination of white and black is consistent with white orchids, gardenias, and white or red roses.

At a wedding, the flowers worn by the groom should complement what's in the bride's bouquet. That's often a lily of the valley or a small orchid. The bride's father and the best man wear the same flower as the groom, and the ushers usually wear carnations, sweet peas or small white roses.

Of course, to wear a flower, your lapel must be prepared for it. Never pin a flower to your jacket. The lapel requires a buttonhole that's about an inch and an eighth long, so the base of the flower fits into the space and observers will see the top of the bloom rather than the side. The photo to the left shows the back of the lapel of a Fallan & Harvey suit, with the other necessity - a silk thread to hold the flower stem in place.

If you're one of those men who have open buttonholes on your jacket sleeves, make sure your tailor is also preparing your lapel. It's an inexpensive way to add elegance to your day.