Lapel pins are the next big thing in men's fashion
Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesClint Eastwood sported a lapel pin at the 2015 Academy Awards.I've always felt suit jackets and blazers needed a little personal touch. They are inherently made to help the wearer blend in, not stand out.
Pocket squares can serve as an accent, but honestly, I'm tired of fussing with them. That's why I've recently become a fan of pins. They're subtle, simple, and have potential to become the next big menswear accessory.
Most jackets come with a buttonhole, which was originally designed so that gentlemen could attach a cord from their hat to their jacket to keep it from blowing away on windy days. Eventually, as hats moved out of favor, the buttonhole got paired with another button on the opposite side of the jacket so it could be buttoned up all the way on unexpectedly cold days.
Since those old uses don't have much of a place in modern menswear, with its slim lapels and thin, technical overcoats, it's a perfect place to show a little style.
Pins may seem affected, but they're really a no-brainer: you can put them on once, and then forget about them entirely, leaving it on your jacket between wears. It's a pure expression of style, with no function at all. As Complex puts it, sometimes you want to wear "something cool that doesn't serve a purpose beyond being ... well, cool."
A basic search on eBay came up with tons of stuff from Disney, the Olympics, and more. You have unlimited options to express your personal style or hobbies. You can support your team without wearing an obnoxious jersey, or wear one of your favorite comic book or video game characters.
If you're looking for a more modern take, Pintrill, one of the brands cited by Complex, is a great place to go for modern styles, like their recent collaboration to celebrate Biggie Smalls. They even comb through vintage stuff and put some of it online (like pins featuring Looney Tunes and Mario Bros.).
All of this means that there are tons of cheap (and expensive) options to add a little bit of style to your jacket (or t-shirt, or anything, really), whether you wear them only for special occasions or every day.