According to Christian legend, carnations first came into being as Jesus carried the cross through Jerusalem. Apparently, The Virgin Mary cried at Jesus' plight and carnations sprang up where her tears fell. We can hardly verify or deny those claims (we weren't there) but it's a nice story all the same. A little more recently, carnations became the go-to flower for men's jackets. From Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra to Lebron James and Justin Timberlake, men of style and substance have been wearing flowers in their jacket buttonholes for decades. Formerly a super formal affectation for funerals, proms, or weddings, it's become incredibly common for stylish men to pin a flower onto their chest.
