GetCrafty Craft Facts

Q: I am beading some lapel pins. I cannot find information regarding which side of pins are worn... Is there a convention on this? Also, which way should the pin bar open?

A: I recently read an 'Ann Landers' column that adressed this issue. Dang, and I threw it away. It seems some woman wrote because a lady at her office kept being condescending to her by removing the pin on her lapel, and moving it to the other side - telling her how silly she was for placing it on the "wrong" side, etc. 'Ann's' response was that she herself wore pins on that same "wrong" side, and had never heard there was a "wrong", or "right side" to wearing brooches, pins, etc. Anyway, I don't recall which side was supposedly the "wrong" and "right", and frankly, I wouldn't change how I wore an item of jewelry to suit some narrow- minded person's opinion of fashion etiquette. Call me a slob. LOL Some big help I am. I've worn my brooches and pins on my left lapel for many years. On all of my commercially made pins, the pin bar hinge is pointed toward the right side of my body when I'm wearing it... so when you are looking directly at the front of the pin, the pin bar's opening is pointed right, and the hinge is pointed left. That much I do know. =0) Traditionally, all womens buttons, broaches, and decorations were worn on the right. This is only because women were dressed by their maids. I don't believe this is currently applicable... unless she has a lady dressing her, and then if their maid was left handed, well, it would all get screwed up! I don't know which side they go on, I guess it depends on which side you think it looks good on! When I design a pin, I usually put the pin on vertically with the pointed end down towards the floor. That way, if the pin should open, it won't fall off immediately, it would have to flip up and more than likely, it will stick you in the chest before that happens. Does this make sense? The only "rules" I know of are that ribbon pins (like the 'AIDS' red ribbon or the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness) usually go on the left, and nametags go on the right, so that when you shake hands, the other person's eyes can just travel up your arm to your shoulder, and there's your name. Other than that, I've never heard that a pin is supposed to go on one side or the other.