Lapel Pins Have Many Uses In Many Organizations

In recent years, lapel pins have become increasingly popular as a way to support social causes, demonstrate patriotism, reward employee achievement and many other functions. Lapel pins are available in a variety of styles, sizes and add-ons that can be adapted to just about any organization, team or group.

It’s not hard to understand the appeal of lapel pins. With a good design, lapel pins can be very attractive, with the appearance of fine jewelry. They also can be produced inexpensively and distributed widely to support social causes or other organizations. And they’re an easy, attractive way for members of organizations to identify each other and show their membership in the group.

Lapel pins also can be a quiet way to make a statement. They invite others to ask what they represent. The people wearing the lapel pins then have an opportunity to explain in more depth what the pins mean to them. Many people prefer this subtle approach to a more flamboyant way of doing things.

Some lapel pins offer a more distinct message than others. Flag pins, for example, are a popular way to demonstrate one’s patriotism. Friends and family members of U.S. troops abroad also often wear camouflage-colored or yellow ribbon lapel pins to show their support for their loved ones.

Ribbon lapel pins, introduced in 1991, are a popular way many people choose to support charitable organizations and causes that are important to them. Red ribbon lapel pins were introduced to help increase AIDS awareness. Since then, many other organizations and causes have adopted the ribbon shape for their own lapel pins in various colors for their specific colors.

Many colors of ribbon lapel pins have since come to represent more than one cause. With the limited number of colors available to represent a virtually unlimited number of causes, that was inevitable. But the apparent limitation actually can be turned into a positive aspect of lapel pins. Uncertainty about what a specified color represents often prompts people to ask what the pins stand for. That gives the wearers an opportunity to discuss why the lapel pins they choose to wear are important to them.

Civic groups also use lapel pins to show membership in their groups. The pins enable members to recognize each other as such in settings outside group meetings. Rotary Clubs, Civitan, Chambers of Commerce and other such organizations are among those that use lapel pins in this fashion.

Members of fraternities and sororities also use lapel pins to indicate their affiliations with their chapters. Greek-letter lapel pins are a source of pride for members on college campuses throughout the country.

One of the biggest markets of all for lapel pins is sports trading pins. The pins have been a popular element of many youth sports for years, especially in Little League Baseball. Trading pins are among the highlights of the annual Little League World Series, and the custom lapel pins have been adopted by other youth sports as well, including hockey, soccer and even football.