Definition

Noun: - The part of a garment (especially a coat or jacket) that is folded back on the chest, below the collar and on either side of the front opening. It is a continuation of the coat's collar.

Usage

The word "lapel" is used to describe a specific part of formal and semi-formal clothing. It is a countable noun. - He wore a red flower pinned to his lapel. - The suit had wide, peaked lapels. - She adjusted the lapel of her blazer.

Advanced Usage

• "Lapel pin" or "lapel badge": A small decorative or symbolic pin attached to the lapel.
  • He always wears his company's lapel pin.
• "Lapel microphone": A small microphone that can be clipped to a lapel.
  • The speaker used a lapel mic so her hands were free.

Variants and Related Words

• Lapelled (adj): Having lapels.
  • A lapelled jacket.
• Revere (n): A less common synonym, often used in tailoring.
• Notch lapel: A lapel style with a V-shaped indentation (notch) where it meets the collar. Common on business suits.
• Peak lapel: A lapel style that points upwards. Common on formal wear like tuxedos.
• Shawl lapel: A continuous, curved lapel without a notch, often found on dinner jackets.

Synonyms

• Revere (formal/tailoring term)
• Facing (in a broader sewing/tailoring context, the fabric on the inside of the garment that is turned to the outside to form the lapel)

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "To talk to someone's lapel": To speak to someone without making eye contact, often implying the speaker is nervous or the listener is inattentive. (This is a figurative, less common idiom).
  • He was so shy he just talked to my lapel the whole time.

Noun

1. lap at the front of a coat; continuation of the coat collar