How to pin a boutonniere

Elizabeth Tibbe, Co-editor in chief
April 30, 2015

A lot goes into having a prom date, the proposal, the planning, the color matching, and finally, the icing on the cake, the boutonniere. Whoever has had the dreaded task of trying to pin the darn thing knows how awkward the pictures are of sticking your tongue out as you squint and try to find the end of the pin as to not stab your date like a Capri Sun pouch. In attempt to save you from blood loss and embarrassment, here’s a step by step guide on how to pin a boutonniere.

As obvious as it may sound, things have gone south here. Hold the flowers by the stem facing you.
Place the boutonniere on an angle on the left (your right) lapel, about four inches down from the shoulder or whatever looks good to you.
Now things get tricky, hold the flowers with one hand and lift up the lapel so you’re looking at the backside.
From under the lapel, push the pin down through to the stem of the flower. Keep going until about a half an inch of the pin is secure in the stem.
Push the pin out of the stem and back through the tux fabric so the pin is hidden under the lapel.
Flatten the lapel and check to be sure the flower is in the right position and secure.
If nothing is blood stained or crooked, you succeeded!