Pens In The Breast Pocket: Inappropriate Or Not?

[ko6]

Recently I read a blog entry on fountain pens, which introduced an episode in a memoir of a Japanese popular writer about a Japanese army officer at a prison camp of enemy diplomats.

 

The officer confiscated expensive fountain pens from the captives. When walked around the prison rooms, he put Parker fountain pens in the breast pocket. Behind his back, those diplomats made fun of him and called him, "Lieutenant Colonel Parker." Because only those carrying pens in the breast pocked were shop clerks, waiters and servants, in order to take a note of orders promptly.

 

This is a story about 70 years ago, but I just wonder if it is still inappropriate to clip pens in the breast pocket without such purpose.

[Plume145]

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!

[bassmannate]

I personally clip my pens in my shirt between buttons. I don't like how my pocket flops around when I bend over to get something when something is weighing it down. Feels much more secure.

[pienaar]

I was a cop in the military. I would not go anywhere without a pen and a note pad in my shirt pocket.

[ronw]

Recently I read a blog entry on fountain pens, which introduced an episode in a memoir of a Japanese popular writer about a Japanese army officer at a prison camp of enemy diplomats.

 

The officer confiscated expensive fountain pens from the captives. When walked around the prison rooms, he put Parker fountain pens in the breast pocket. Behind his back, those diplomats made fun of him and called him, "Lieutenant Colonel Parker." Because only those carrying pens in the breast pocked were shop clerks, waiters and servants, in order to take a note of orders promptly.

 

This is a story about 70 years ago, but I just wonder if it is still inappropriate to clip pens in the breast pocket without such purpose.

 

Most of the time, like 95%, I carry my pens in my shirt pocket. When my shirt does not have a pocket, I clip the pen between buttons.

 

Sometimes, if i am carrying my computer case, I will put a few pens in that (it has slots that fit fountain pens nicely). But then I have to worry about keeping it upright so the nibs don't get too much ink, and that's a hassle.

 

So mostly: shirt pocket.

 

I am not one to give a hoot about what others think of how I carry my stuff, so that never enters into it for me. It's all about convenience.

[ajcoleman]

Whenever possible, I carry a pen in my shirt pocket, but I would never carry a pen in the outside breast pocket of a suit coat or sport coat.

[welch]

Maybe it was a social class thing 70 years ago, but when I grew up -- in the '50s and '60s -- you put your pen in your shirt pocket.

[penmanila]

i don't mind being a shop clerk with an agatha christie in my breast pocket

 

seriously, i'm a professor and administrator, and will stick a pen where it'll be easiest for me to grab it, which could very well be my breast pocket if i'm wearing a blazer. i do try to remember to keep the agatha or the churchill in my shirt pocket, though, just because i feel vulnerable with them on the outside, and the churchill especially stands out much too prominently. my low-lying parkers and pelikans can sit outside.

 

Because only those carrying pens in the breast pocket were shop clerks, waiters and servants, in order to take a note of orders promptly.

[tomgartin]

I almost always have my TWSBI Mini in my breast pocket with a small Moleskine journal for quick notes. I really like it that way and no one seems to bat an eye. The most pen talk I've had lately was when my friend showed me her Cross Century II (ballpoint, a gift from her father) and she commented "the good thing about a metal pen is that you never have the urge to chew on it."

[langere]

If I am not mistaken, the reason shirtmakers put pockets in shirts was for fountain pens that began to proliferate by the early twentieth century. Before that, pockets in shirts were not terribly useful.

 

Erick

[elwood1132]

I'd say "not inappropriate." If you want to carry your pen someone, a pocket (even shirt pocket) is quite appropriate. Some pens are too long or heavy to work well in it, but others fit quite well. The only time it's not appropriate is if carrying an expensive pen and you don't clip it to the pocket...and then you reach to tie your shoe or pick up something, and the pen falls out, hits the floor and either harmlessly bounces or horribly shatters/cracks. Totally personal preference how/where a person carries a pen in my opinion.

[J.R.]

What is the purpose of the shirt pocket, if not to carry items close to hand ? It seems far more inefficient to attempt to pull a pen out of pants pockets, while seated, at least to me. And even less so, if the pen is tucked away in a satchel, bag, briefcase or similar. I suppose we could go back to ring-top pens, attached to chains, and carry them in vest pockets, or ladies necklaces ?

[brunico]

It is a bit common. That, or you're a stereotyped scientist on British television, with a row of Bic biros in your lab coat pocket. Then again, I often used to put a pencil behind my ear, which is a real greengrocer thing to do, along with shoving apostrophes where they're not meant to go. Only a jerk would actually treat someone differently for carrying pens in a shirt pocket, of course.

 

Indeed, it's a bit common for a formal shirt to have pockets. My own aversion to them isn't for snobbish reasons but because as a schoolboy I saw how they'd collect dirt and fluff in the bottom seam, leaving a dark V-shaped mark visible. As I never used them in any event, I couldn't see the point of something that served only to collect dust. I'll buy shirts that have pockets if I like the material, but I'll unstitch them and carefully rub the material to remove the pinholes. I have two shirt pockets I've kept because of their gorgeous material, but they've been sitting around for a couple of years waiting for me magically to turn them into a pincushion or something, which isn't going to happen.

 

ETA. Clearly, whether pens in shirt pockets are common or not matters only to people without the style to rise above an obsolescent set of social indicators: I'm merely repeating them, because I like to indulge in a bit of mock condescension from time to time. Where you carry your pen has nothing to do with manners, only with the likelihood of a pen falling to the floor.

Edited April 5, 2013 by brunico

[chad.trent]

Call it what you want. I do it every day at work. Usually with more than one pen.

[Runnin_Ute]

Whenever possible, I carry a pen in my shirt pocket, but I would never carry a pen in the outside breast pocket of a suit coat or sport coat.

 

This describes me. Besides you have interior pockets for pens in a lot of suit/sport coats. And those that don't have the larger pockets.

[Brian K]

Whenever possible, I carry a pen in my shirt pocket, but I would never carry a pen in the outside breast pocket of a suit coat or sport coat.

 

This describes me. Besides you have interior pockets for pens in a lot of suit/sport coats. And those that don't have the larger pockets.

 

This is a common opinion, but it is not at all uncommon to discover in pictures of the first half or so of the 20th century that the breast pocket of the suit coat often had more utility to their owners than those of today. You could see the bar of a watch chain in the button hole of the lapel with the watch in the breast pocket of a man not wearing a vest. You could also see a fountain pen in that pocket, sometimes both. (I think I recall pictures of Albert Einstein with a pen in the breast pocket of his suit coat.)

 

To be honest, I have sometimes wished I had thought of this before putting a pen in my shirt pocket or inside breast pocket of a suit coat before doing something that could lead to generating a little extra body heat like being Sr. Deacon in Masonic degree work. I have more than once found that the cap of my pen had taken on unwanted moisture in such situations. Had I placed the pen in the outer breast pocket of my suit coat this would not have happened.

 

For the record, I don't care if you keep your pen in your nose. It's your pen after all - just don't offer it to me if I indicate a need for one!

 

Regards,

 

Brian

[ISW_Kaputnik]

...only those carrying pens in the breast pocked were shop clerks, waiters and servants, in order to take a note of orders promptly...

 

That's kind of interesting, sounds like class based sneering in this case, but compare it with the modern stereotype of the "nerd" with a pocket full of pens. In both cases, I guess some people just don't think it's cool to be prepared to write stuff down, or at least to be openly prepared.

 

Can't please everybody, and there will always be people with lists of fashion don'ts if you choose to listen to them. If I have a shirt pocket, there will usually be a pen in it, sometimes two. When I was in uniform in the Navy, there were rules about having things visible in outside pockets, but I don't have to put up with that as a civilian.

[Bo Bo Olson]

1895 the bicyclists paved the roads, the Oxford shoe below the ankle was the rage....replacing the combat boot that every man wore before...because of the mud of the road/streets.

 

Because of the peddle power washing machine, sewed on cuffs and collars came in. One woman could peddle a load of wash...didn't need two women to do that any more.

 

The upper class and shortly there after the then small middle class started changing under ware every day, instead of Saturday night after the bath.

Bath night was still Saturday night.

 

The shirt pocket was invented to carry fountain pens with. They even invented slip on snake pocket clips...in @1895.

 

When folks went away from fountain pens...idiots who can't write but make fashion did away with shirt pockets because they hurt the bonus....the bottom line was they could charge just as much for a shirt, after hiring some fashion...how to succeed in business buy dressing the part editor, to say shirt pockets were bad for your image.

 

You are allowed to have a ring with an Emerald or a Sapphire, but not a diamond. It is in the book.

Sell your diamond ring and buy a MB man bag to 'hide' your fountain pen.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Bo Bo Olson

[Pippin60]

Whenever possible, I carry a pen in my shirt pocket, but I would never carry a pen in the outside breast pocket of a suit coat or sport coat.

 

Same here and someone had mentioned that they don't like how the pocket will then flop forward, one thing I do to reduce this is I carry a small rhodia pad in my pocket or some times the a cahier note book

[HildyZ]

 

That's kind of interesting, sounds like class based sneering in this case, but compare it with the modern stereotype of the "nerd" with a pocket full of pens.

 

 

This is the first thing I thought of. The well-dressed nerd, complete with pocket protector.

 

Women never put anything in our shirt pockets, that real estate being otherwise occupied.

Edited April 5, 2013 by HildyZ