Attaching a safety clasp lapel pin?

February 27, 2013 8:12 PM

I have this safety clasp lapel pin that I want to attach to my lapel. However it looks like on my suit the buttonhole is just stitching instead of a real hole. The actual pin part slides through easily enough (and I don't have problems with normal butterfly clasps), but how to I get the closing part through without destroying the buttonhole?
posted by Deflagro to clothing, beauty, & fashion (4 answers total)

The buttonhole is not just stitching, it just hasn't been opened up yet (all buttonholes have to be opened; they're just usually opened by the manufacturer). Here's how to open one.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:16 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]

all buttonholes have to be opened

To clarify: all open buttonholes were once "just stitching" and had to be opened. One is perfectly free not to open decorative buttonholes, and many (if not most) men leave their lapel buttonholes closed.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:17 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]

Doesn't the pin need to go in and then back up and out and you attach it on the front side of the lapel?
posted by dawkins_7 at 8:21 PM on February 27

Ah, I knew pockets had to be opened, but it never occurred to me that the buttonhole had to be opened also. That looks a lot better now. Thanks ocherdraco!

dawkins_7: "Doesn't the pin need to go in and then back up and out and you attach it on the front side of the lapel?"

I tried, the pin part is rigid so there's no way to thread it in and back up without bending it. I could kind of get it, but it wouldn't fully close. Also since the actual design is so thin (it's just an arrow), the sight of the closures on the front of the lapel ruinedthe look.
posted by Deflagro at 8:31 PM on February 27