All About Boutonnieres and Corsages

It’s that time of the year again; everywhere you walk you hear talk of prom dresses, and matching with one’s date right down to the boutonniere and corsage. But what are they? Luckily this isn’t my first rodeo, it's my 3rd. If you wish to impress your date with your extensive knowledge about boutonnieres and corsages and how to wear them appropriately, keep on reading.

A boutonniere is what a male wears on the left side of his lapel, typically being a single flower. Boutonniere is french for "little buttonhole" The lapel is the fold on either side of the coat right under the collar that is folded back.

A corsage is what the female wears it is a small arrangement of a few flowers, usually roses. The French referred to the small arrangement of blossoms as a “bouquet de corsage.” Overtime it was shortened to corsage. Corsages use to be pinned to the actual upper part of the women’s dress, which is also called a corsage, but most commonly known as the bodice of the dress. Today, most dresses are strapless or spaghetti strap so corsages have evolved to go on the left wrist.

One must make sure that they are wearing their corsage or boutonniere correctly and not upside down. According to the Etiquette School of Ohio, corsages and boutonnieres are worn on the “left shoulder or lapel with the stem pointed downward.”

So where did this whole tradition originate from? Well, they were worn for several reasons. One is that they were worn for safety. They would be worn on suit jackets to prevent disease and ward off evil spirits. According to “onlineathens.com”, during the 16th and 17th centuries, boutonnieres and corsages may have been worn every day, but as time passed the tradition was reserved only for formal occasions since more effective methods of warding off evil spirits (illness) were discovered.

They were also used during courting (pairing up two people for the intent of marriage). Corsages became a luxurious item. A gentleman would bestow his date a corsage as a gift for attending a special event, like a dance. The boy would show his respect to his date's parents by giving a bouquet of flowers. Usually a flower from the bouquet would be pinned to the date's dress and in this situation, corsages meant attachment to another person.

Now that you know what corsages and boutonnieres are and a little background about them, here are a few last minute tips to keep in mind. Please take into account the color(s) that are on your dress. In a perfect world, the color of your dress would perfectly match the flowers on the corsage. You can never go wrong with keeping it neutral with the colors of the corsage and boutonniere. “White, peach, or cream doesn't clash with a lot of colors”, tells RoanokeValleyWoman.com.

Roses are one of the most popular and common choice for corsages, but many other flowers work too. Depending on how much you'd like to splurge, you could select orchids, carnations or lilies. Remember you have options so have fun choosing!

Example of what a corsage (on the female’s hand) and boutonniere (on the male’s lapel) look like.