the.com/lapel
the silent handshake of a suit, folding fabric into authority since the rebellion of buttoned coats.
means The folded flap of fabric on each side of a coat or jacket's front, just below the collar, where it turns back against the chest.
from A diminutive of 'lapel' from English 'lap' — the loose, hanging part of a garment that folds over — with the '-el' ending marking it as a little fold. The word surfaced in the 18th century as coats began turning their fronts back to reveal the lining, a fold that hardened over time into the fixed, pressed shape we know now.
- origin
- Born when soldiers unbuttoned collars in hot weather
- buttonhole
- That working hole once held a real flower
- types
- Notch, peak, and shawl rule menswear
- pin power
- Olympic athletes trade lapel pins like currency
- width wars
- Lapel size betrays the decade you bought it
notch lapel — most common suit lapel style, angled cut found on ~70% of business jackets worldwide
peak lapel — formal lapel style with pointed peak, traditional on tuxedos and double-breasted blazers since the 1920s
shawl lapel — rounded continuous lapel on dinner jackets and some cardigans, named for its resemblance to a shawl collar