A boutonniere goes on the left lapel of a suit or tuxedo jacket, slightly above the heart, with the flower facing out and the stem pointing down.

Exact placement

  • Side: Left lapel only, same side as the breast pocket and pocket square.
  • Height: Centered over or just above the lapel’s buttonhole (the small slit on the lapel), never down near the chest pocket.
  • Angle: Flower upright or with a very slight tilt toward the shoulder, stem pointing straight down the lapel.

How it’s attached

  • For jackets with a working buttonhole and loop, the stem can pass through the hole and be held by the loop behind the lapel.
  • More commonly today, the boutonniere is pinned from the back of the lapel so the pin is hidden, catching fabric, then stem, then fabric again to keep it from flopping.

Quick special cases

  • On vests or shirts (no lapel), it still goes on the upper left side of the chest, roughly where a lapel flower would sit.
  • For women wearing a jacket and choosing a boutonniere instead of a corsage, it follows the same left-lapel placement rules.

Think “left side, over the heart, on the lapel, just above the buttonhole” and you’ll be right almost every time.