Ribbon Lapel Pins In Many Colors Support Social Causes

Ribbon Lapel Pins In Many Colors Support Social Causes

Lapel pins are a part of American life in many ways. One of the most popular styles is the ribbon pin used to show support for and raise awareness of social causes such as poverty, disease and social inequality.

Ribbon lapel pins became part of the pop culture scene in the early 1990s. The yellow ribbon became a symbol of support for U.S. troops in Iraq in 1990 and 1991. At the 1991 Tony Awards, activists wore red ribbons to showcase AIDS awareness. The red ribbons were quickly reproduced as lapel pins. The success of those pins prompted other organizations to adopt ribbon pins in other colors to promote other causes.

People like to contribute to causes they consider important. They like the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Lapel pins are an easy way to show support for a cause that the wearer believes in, and are a subtle way of doing so.

Ribbon lapel pins succeed because they're a quick symbol that's easy to "read." You know the ribbon shape indicates support for a cause. If you know the cause the color represents, you immediately know what the lapel pins represent. Pin ribbon pins for example, typically represent breast cancer awareness, while camouflage or yellow pins generally represent support for U.S. troops.

But with the proliferation of causes represented by the ribbon lapel pins comes a dilemma: there are only so many colors to go around and a virtually unlimited number of causes represented by ribbon pins. Today, the only way to be certain what most such lapel pins represent is to ask the person wearing them.

Some worry that dilutes the impact the lapel pins can have. But a more positive approach is to consider that talking about the pins gives the wearers a chance to open a deeper conversation about what the lapel pins represent, and why a particular cause is important to them.

Because they are easy to buy and wear, and are popular for so many different causes, detractors sometimes refer to lapel pins as a form of "slacktivism." They claim the pins make the wearer feel good, but do little or nothing to support the cause behind the pins. But people who wear the ribbon lapel pins say they increase awareness and show the world that the causes are important.

Lapel pins of all kinds can be made in a variety of styles. The most popular style for ribbon pins is a soft enamel pin. Lapel pins made in this style are die struck metal pins, with the design filled with enamel paints, then fired at low heat to seal the colors and provide a lustrous appearance. These pins offer a look very similar to the fine jewelry quality of cloisonn lapel pins, but at a significantly lower cost.

Ribbon pins are not for everyone. But for those who want to show their support for a worthy cause they believe in, the lapel pins are an affordable way to do so. They also prompt conversations about the causes the pins represent, which in turn can lead to more support for the causes. That makes lapel pins a positive influence on the world, one that just about anyone can wear.

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