Thoughts on pen inserted in shirt placket

xkmasada · Aug 29, 2007

Today at a meeting, I saw the CEO and COO of my company with nice pens (Montblancs) inserted in the plackets of their buttondown shirts between the 2nd and 3rd top buttons. I've seen this before, including in dress shirts with the pens discretely covered by neckties.

I was wondering what fellow SF members think about this. Does it look too casual? Or is it an elegant solution of wear to put pens when your shirt has no chest pocket?

chobochobo · Aug 29, 2007

My thoughts are that it is an inelegant way of carrying a pen, probably a pseudo-style statement more than anything else.

Fishball · Aug 29, 2007

I do it all the time, it is just for convenient sake.
But be careful to fasten the pen. sometime the pen drop off from the cap, then your shirt.....
Also, I lost my Parker old Duofold in this way.

Journeyman · Aug 29, 2007

Not a good idea.
It looks inelegant and as Fishball said, you can end up getting ink on your shirt.
I tend to carry a pen inside my leather folio, or at a pinch, I slide it down inside my side trouser pocket, with just the clip showing the outside of the trousers. I've never had the lid come off, but at least that way if the pen does leak, it won't really be noticeable against the dark fabric of the trousers.

grimslade · Aug 29, 2007

Hey! I have an idea. If you had a pocket on your shirt, you could put it in there!

lakewolf · Aug 29, 2007

Originally Posted by grimslade

Hey! I have an idea. If you had a pocket on your shirt, you could put it in there!

philistine !

me I don't do neither... I don't write with archaic tools anymore.

Holdfast · Aug 29, 2007

I may have done it once or twice at most. But only impulsively out of a genuine need to put the pen somewhere for a few seconds while doing something else. And usually in that scenario, if the jacket isn't near, it goes in the trouser pocket.

As a consistent way of carrying your pen? No thanks, not for me.

Cantabrigian · Aug 29, 2007

I much prefer that to carrying a pen in your shirt pocket.

imageWIS · Aug 29, 2007

Originally Posted by lakewolf

philistine !

me I don't do neither... I don't write with archaic tools anymore.

You using Voice Actuation?

Jon.

lpwb32 · Aug 29, 2007

i just had an awesome idea. pen-tie clip! i'm going to patent it.

other projects in the development pipeline:

leatherman-tie clip
laserpointer-tie clip
moneyclip-tie clip

CTGuy · Aug 29, 2007

I know some men are fans of the the whole pen on the shirt thing-- I think it's a little too old fashioned even for me. It reminds me of something a 65 year old engineer might do. I love pens, but I keep them in my inside jacket pocket or in a briefcase.

SantaCruzGuy · Aug 30, 2007

"I know some men are fans of the the whole pen on the shirt thing-- I think it's a little too old fashioned even for me. It reminds me of something a 65 year old engineer might do. I love pens, but I keep them in my inside jacket pocket or in a briefcase."

New solution: instead of using a fancy schmancy pen, use your new iPhone to hang it there instead. It'll make the same positive impression.

I knew some guys that did this with a pen too, & it was always a Mont Blanc un-coincidentally.

gdl203 · Aug 30, 2007

I love styleforum. You read all sorts of important questions here...

LabelKing · Aug 30, 2007

I sometimes do it though I once lost a vintage '20s Sheaffer Balance Oversize that way. It was Jade Green too.

J'aimelescravates · Aug 30, 2007

I really don't like this look at all. I always keep my pen in a) my hand b) on my desk or c) in an inside pocket of my jacket. IMHO, if you need a pen so quickly as to not be able to put it in your pocket it's best to just leave it in your hand.

Thoughts on pen inserted in shirt placket

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