Meaning & use
notched lapel
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A jacket collar style where the lapel meets the collar at a small V-shaped gap, giving a simple, everyday suit look.
Grammar: Countable: a suit with notched lapels (usually plural when describing the whole jacket).
Patterns
- a jacket with notched lapels
- a notched lapel on something
His navy blazer has a notched lapel and two buttons.
A notched lapel suits most office jobs better than a flashy shawl style.
The tailor sewed a narrow notched lapel on the jacket.
Word forms
| plural | notched lapels |
|---|
Common combinations
- a slim notched lapel
- The modern cut has a slim notched lapel.
- a wide notched lapel
- A wide notched lapel gave the coat a retro look.
- a suit with a notched lapel
- He wore a grey suit with a notched lapel to the interview.
- choose a notched lapel
- If you only buy one suit, choose a notched lapel.
Synonyms and how they differ
- step lapel
- It is another name for the same style, used more in the United States.
- peak lapel
- A peak lapel points upward and looks sharper and more formal, so it is not interchangeable with a notched lapel.
- shawl lapel
- A shawl lapel is one smooth rolled curve with no notch, and it usually belongs on dinner jackets.
Word family
Commonly confused: notched lapel or peak lapel?
notched lapel vs peak lapel
A peak lapel angles upward toward the shoulder, whereas a notched lapel has a small gap pointing sideways.
Practice
The most common lapel on an everyday business suit, with a small V-shaped gap where it meets the collar, is the ____.
Choose one answer.
The V-shaped gap is the defining feature of a notched lapel. A peak lapel points upward and a shawl lapel is a smooth curve without a gap.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “notched lapel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.