Lapel pins came into popularity as a means of showing your support for a presidential candidate. A prized collector's lapel pin shows Abraham Lincoln. Since then, the lapel pin has become a way to show your passion and support for a variety of interests, from politics to sports and beyond. Since lapel pins are most often worn with dress suits, learning how to attach a lapel pin without ruining a shirt is important. Lapel pins worn on a jacket are not much cause for concern because the fabric is heavier, but placing the pin on a dress shirt also is popular.

Remove the back from your lapel pin. The back is a round, brass-colored back that pushes onto the sharp end of the pin, covering the point of the pin and preventing the lapel pin from falling off your shirt.

Stand in front of a mirror while wearing the shirt, and select a position for the pin. There are two common placements: on the collar and on the pocket.

Attach the lapel pin to the shirt. Push the sharp point of the pin through the fabric at a stitched seam on the collar or the pocket. The seam will help hide the hole when you are not wearing the pin. Push the pin in until the back of the pin face is flush to the fabric, then press the pin into the back of the pin inside the shirt.