Wearing a carnation

[Guest]

Being young and American, most of my peers do not wear carnations with suits. I think it's a nice touch, though...

1. Is a carnation the flower of choice?

2. Is there a "proper" way to wear it?

3. Which other flowers are used, and when?

thanks.

[Guest]

I have no idea what the language for carnations is, but I recall a really funny bit about flowers in British GQ about 12 years ago. It covered the language of flowers, red roses being passion, white being purity and so on. What I remember most is that a vase full of yellow roses means "you unfaithful cow".

I always giggle when I see yellow roses.

The vitrue of a carnation is that they are relatively inexpensive, can survive a day in a lapel without drooping in ten minutes, but the best is that they are a relatively simple flower and therein lies their potential for elegance. Choose red or white and I do not think that you can go wrong.

DDM

[Guest]

While it may seem obvious, be certain your lapel buttonhole is sufficiently wide to accommodate fitting the flower stem through and holding it. Carnations have a bulbous "base" from which the stem depends, and so require a buttonhole of enough size through which one can slip them. I like to wear them, but got exceedingly tired of being asked, "Were you in a wedding today?", etc., and so tend to wear 'em sparingly. People will notice a boutonniere.

[Guest]

Carnations make one of the ideal boutonniere flowers as the bulb fits snugly into a 1 1/8" lapel buttonhole and the bloom lasts all day with out water.

The miniatures are scaled best for a lapel, IMO, or else try to find a not quite fully open standard in red or pink for daytime, and white at night.

[Guest]

Find this book: The Boutonniere: Style in One's Lapel by Umberto Angeloni, Colin Woodhead, Roy Strong, and Nick Foulkes .. Enjoy, JAS

[Guest]

Loungers may be interested in a tradition at Oxford that is still observed. Students sitting exams wear a white carnation on the day of their first exam and a red carnation on the day of their last exam. They wear pink carnations on exam days in between.

The origins of the tradition are, I was told when I was there, that students used to start with a healthy white carnation and put the stem in a pot of red ink every night. Throughout their exams, they kept wearing the same carnation, which became pinker and pinker and was pretty much red by the end.

[Guest]

To the author of the post concerning Oxford students' tradition of wearing carnations of different colours:

These are the posts I love the most: indeed Your post belongs to the category of comments that are capable of explaining the historical roots on which some cultural behaviors, including the evolution of the taste in men dressing, are based.
Thanks a lot for this very interesting intervention.

Angelo

Genoa ,Italy

[Guest]

Just be aware, that one does not wear a carnation in France, carnations are considered bad luck. Everywhere else, it's OK.
H. E Lewis

[Guest]

Wow,

What's the story behind that?

[Guest]

It began with the French theatre and now carries over into daily life.........

Carnations should never be given to actors – this superstition goes back to a custom dating to the 19th century, when actors were employed by theatres all year long. When the theatre director wanted to tell an actress that her contract was being renewed, he would send her roses. If he sent carnations, that meant her contract was being terminated.

Also for what it's worth, green is considered bad luck in France, it's banned on stage. There are many anecdotes about green’s evil powers, especially in the theatre, again this is how it started. .

Actors who wore green costumes next to their skin met with an untimely death, due to the toxic effects of the copper oxides used in green dye during a certain era.

I guess this is more than you want to know.

H.E. Lewis

[Guest]

The gardenia is the correct flower for white tie or morning dress. The deep red clove carnation is ideal for black tie or lounge suit. Some orchids were favoured by Edwardians - and some such as Masdevallia are still useful.