Pens In The Breast Pocket: Inappropriate Or Not?

[Zeppelin]

I didn't even know such categories of pen etiquette existed. I'm sure there is a more classy answer, but to me, the only reason carrying a pen in the breast pocket of your shirt wouldn't be appropriate is if your pen is leaking.

[Cognaticrotty]

As I write this, I have 3 FPs in my breast pocket on my shirt. I do what I want, and don't care what others think of how, or where, I carry my pens.

[Sasha Royale]

The gentlemanly style would be to carry the fountain pen inside the

coat. However, the outside pocket is more convenient, not just for

clerks and accountants, but for engineers and physicists. Professor

Einstein carried his pen in the outside coat pocket.

 

The Japanese culture of 1930's and 1940's was charging at warp speed

into the 20th Century. However, the values outlook was still very

traditional and non-western. Note that they ridiculed the officer

for his appearance, rather than the fact that he was a thief. Ah,

the fascinating days of world war !

 

Times change. Today, the only Japanese person I would ridicule is

my cousin's husband. Then, only because his wife is getting fat.

(Love yah, Jimmy !)

[Sasha Royale]

I suppose it depends on your breast....

 

 

:roflmho:

I thought of that, as well, but didn't have the nerve.

[Koyote]

I'll occasionally clip a pen into my shirt pocket when at the office, but I generally try to avoid it. If I'm wearing a proper dress shirt with a fifty dollar tie, why ruin the look?

[Brian K]

I'll occasionally clip a pen into my shirt pocket when at the office, but I generally try to avoid it. If I'm wearing a proper dress shirt with a fifty dollar tie, why ruin the look?

 

Oh, I don't know... :hmm1: ...in the eyes of a knowledgeable individual the right pen would enhance rather than ruin your "look." And why worry about the opinion of someone who is not knowledgeable? We spend too much time trying to impress other people anyway. The only people we need to impress is US! Consideration of others is one thing, an undue attention to their opinions on matters sartorial is another

 

Regards,

 

Brian

[pencils+pens]

"If I'm wearing a proper dress shirt with a fifty dollar tie, why ruin the look?"

 

I doubt most people could tell the difference between a $50 tie and one purchased from Kohl's for a lot less. But they might be able to identify the pen.

[Brian K]

"If I'm wearing a proper dress shirt with a fifty dollar tie, why ruin the look?"

 

I doubt most people could tell the difference between a $50 tie and one purchased from Kohl's for a lot less. But they might be able to identify the pen.

 

Of course, there are also those who would say that a "proper" dress shirt would not have a pocket in the the first place, so an occasion to sin would be avoided.

[Pas]

Gary Oldman et al. demonstrating how to wear a fountain pen in a coat pocket.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2013 by Pas

[fyrstormer]

Breast pockets provide structural challenges to women of my bra size, even without pen insertion.

 

Speaking as a woman surveying a man - if your pen is what I'm noticing about you, much less focusing on, you've got bigger problems than whether you're following outdated sartorial rules dating back to 18th century England.

 

Pics or it never happened.

 

Seriously though, you could try the "between the shirt-buttons" trick that someone else here suggested. From the sound of it you won't have to worry about the pen digging into your ribcage like I would.

 

Speaking as a man who's (hypothetically) being surveyed by women -- anything that catches their eye is worth doing. The worst that can happen is they dislike what they see, and then I don't have to waste my time discovering how poorly-matched we are.

[fyrstormer]

I'll occasionally clip a pen into my shirt pocket when at the office, but I generally try to avoid it. If I'm wearing a proper dress shirt with a fifty dollar tie, why ruin the look?

A pen in the breast pocket doesn't ruin the look, a tie clip ruins the look. The pen indicates that you're ready to actually do work, which is the only reason to be wearing a suit outside of a wedding chapel or funeral home nowadays.

 

Also, in case you're one of those people who buttons the top button on your shirt when you wear a tie, I have good news: you're doing it wrong! The point of the tie is to allow you to adjust the collar size to fit your neck, so you should leave the top button undone. It will be covered by the tie anyway.

Edited May 16, 2013 by fyrstormer

[Mike_Dowling]

I can't imagine why carrying a pen in your breast pocket would not be OK. Do the naysayers actually use these things?

[Justindo]

If I'm wearing a suit/jacket/sport coat/blazer, my pen goes in the inside pen pocket (most of mine have them) or inside breast pocket. If I'm only wearing a shirt, I use the pocket if the shirt has one or the placket if there is none.

[pajaro]

I don't think there is anything like that to be honest, even if there WAS back then. I know there used to be sometimes esoteric rules about both how much one was supposed to carry, AND about which pocket it all went into. But most of that stuff is pretty much gone by now as people began to adopt a more 'live and let live' approach to social/etiquette issues in the past few decades.

 

there may be slight element of nerdiness about the habit, but nothing as definite as what you describe - and it mostly goes through the idea that a person carrying stuff in that pocket doesn't mind that it distorts the line of their shirt, which may mean they don't take a whole lot of pride in their appearance beyond basic grooming. That's not on par with being assumed to be part of professions like clerk or waited which traditionally were low-prestige professions.

 

The only consideration is probably that anything in that pocket has to be secured much better than in a pants pocket or a jacket pocket (except for slash pockets/'handwarmer' pockets on jackets) because basically every time you bend over to pick something up, whoops, out slips all your stuff! So it would give your clips a workout

 

Bottom line: if it works for you, use it!

 

 

If you are asking this question seriously, by all means, do it. Also, make sure to wear your underwear on the outside of your pants.

[fyrstormer]

If you are asking this question seriously, by all means, do it. Also, make sure to wear your underwear on the outside of your pants.

Hey, it's good enough for Superman, who are you to criticize?

 

Seriously though, anyone who seriously worries (as opposed to being academically curious) about the appropriateness of carrying a pen in an outside pocket in daily life needs something useful (or at least entertaining) to occupy their thoughts.

Edited May 22, 2013 by fyrstormer

[I like mango cheesecake]

Okay, that's it. I'm going to carry the big fatty of a pen, the MB149 or the Monster Pelikan M1000 in my shirtpocket one day and see if anyone notices.

 

(Ummmm no, I don't have those pens. BUT, if I did....)