Ribbon Lapel Pins - A visible means of support

The ribbon lapel pin started out as a symbol of awareness and support. From humble beginnings in New York nearly 20 years ago, the simple colored ribbon image now makes a statement worldwide.

It all began in 1991 with a ribbon of red cloth. Produced by members of Visual AIDS, a New York advocacy group, the red ribbon was the first style to be adopted as a symbolic cause. Celebrity presenters at the Tony Awards that year wore red ribbon lapel pins to show awareness of and support for people with AIDS.

The color was chosen in part for its symbolic connection to passion - "not only anger but love, like a valentine," one original designer of the red ribbon told the New York Times in 1992. The fact that the color showed well on television didn't hurt either.

The ribbon's value transcends its simplicity, designer Isaac Mizrahi told the Times. "It ruins whatever you're wearing, it doesn't work compositionally, it's the wrong color, it throws your hair off, and who cares, because you have human feelings and you're showing them."

In the intervening years, the ribbon lapel pin has morphed into a symbol of multiple causes, depending on the ribbon color. Yellow, for example, often represent support for U.S. troops abroad. Camouflage ribbons make the same point. Pink ribbons have come to symbolize the fight against breast cancer.

While some pins, such as the pink ones for breast cancer awareness have only one generally accepted meaning, many colors have multiple meanings. Blue pins for example, can represent chronic fatigue syndrome, prostate cancer, colon cancer, child abuse awareness and other causes.

Ribbon lapel pins have become so popular, for so many causes, that some deride them as a form of "slacktivism," something that makes the wearer feel good but does little or nothing for the cause they support. But those who wear the pins say the ribbon pins increase awareness, a valuable asset for any cause needing support.

Many organizations still believe in the power of the pin. For example, the National Organization for Women sells both breast cancer and domestic violence awareness ribbon lapel pins on its web site.

Supporters wear their pins proudly, proclaiming their allegiance to a particular organization or cause quietly each day on their lapels. For many, the ribbon lapel pin retains the power to make a statement on a daily basis in an understated way that's easy to embrace.