Today, all suits are cut in such a way that it would look strange and feel uncomfortable to do up the bottom button. Leaving it unfastened allows for a freer range of movement, a longer stride, a hand in the trouser pocket. For waistcoats (or vests), if the bottom button is cutaway, it’s always left unbuttoned.
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There’s a basic rule when it comes to buttoning up a suit jacket: “Sometimes, Always, Never” — if you have a three-buttoned jacket, sometimes button the top one, always button the middle one, and never button the bottom one. In a two-buttoned suit, you should always button the top button and never the second.
If buttoning the top interferes with the lapel’s natural fold, it should be left unbuttoned (hence optional). I wouldn’t recommend a jacket with more than three buttons. If, for some reason, you feel inclined to wear one with four or more buttons, remember to leave the bottom button undone.
As suits became the fashion norm for European gentleman in the late 1800s, the English gentry noticed their king, Edward the VII, wasn’t buttoning his bottom jacket button. Why not? Because he was too portly to wear suit jackets buttoned at the bottom.
Can you sit down in an overcoat?
Remember, you’ll probably be wearing a few layers of clothes underneath your overcoat. When the coat is on, you should still be able to lift your arms, bend them, and sit down without the coat feeling too tight. If the shoulders of the coat fit well, you can have the rest of it tailored to fit perfectly.
Single-Breasted Waistcoat
You don’t want to have to undo a button every time you sit down like you would a jacket. The derivation stems from that same practical reasoning. It is generally believed that the ever-expanding King Edward VII could not sit down on his horse with his bottom button done up.
At its core, the answer’s simple. “Undoing your top button makes you look (and feel) more relaxed. It works perfectly for outfits with casual shirts. But in a formal outfit, like a suit and tie, you’d of course always do the top button up,” says Thread senior stylist Alice Watt.
This rule applies to button up shirting, and in its entirety really reads, “Never button the top button unless you’re wearing a tie.” The idea is that if you’re not wearing a tie, there’s no reason to close the top button—a move that may be associated with nerdy guys or the conservative clergy.
You don’t have to button it or unbutton it any time, but it usually looks better and helps to slim your silhouette to have it buttoned when you’re standing. Button the top button only, if there are multiple buttons on the jacket.
The two-button jacket should never have both buttons fastened. The three-button suit comes with a simple rule: “sometimes, always, never.” It means you should sometimes fasten the top button (if you feel like it), always fasten the middle button, and never button the third.
Keeping the button fastened maintains a balanced proportion. These jackets should ALWAYS be buttoned when standing. Unbutton the jacket when sitting down, so that it doesn’t crease. The traditional way to button a two-button jacket is to Always fasten the top button and leave the lower undone.
If you have the traditional one-button jacket; you leave it unbuttoned if you wear it with a waistcoat or a vest, and you button it if you wear it with a cummerbund.
On a two-button jacket, you should always use to the top button and never use the second. Whether Edward VII was the true inspiration for this or simply makes for a convenient tale, modern suits are now tailored to fit with the last button unbuttoned ― using it makes them both look and feel too tight.
Vest Buttoning
Similarly to the jacket, when buttoning your vest you should always leave the bottom button undone. Your look will be sleek, and you will be comfortable weather you are sitting or standing without having to make any adjustments.
Given that the primary purpose of an overcoat is to keep you warm and dry, it is perfectly reasonable and acceptable to do up all the buttons to keep out the elements.
Can I wear an overcoat with jeans?
Jeans might not pair naturally with a classic overcoat, but they work surprisingly well together! Choose a ¾ length overcoat, rather than a full-length style, and opt for a neutral colour such as camel or tan, which will compliment blue jeans and darker hues. Leave the front of the coat open to keep this look casual.
What do you wear inside an overcoat?
Ways to Wear an Overcoat
- Smart: The overcoat lends itself to smarten your outfit up without needing a suit jacket, this gives your outfit a stronger and boxier silhouette.
- Casual: For a more casual look team your overcoat with a gingham shirt, rolled up acid washed jeans and a pair of chunky boots.
No, it’s not an accident on the manufacturing tip, but actually a practical feature. The holes are sewn horizontally so that the buttons can endure more stress from pulling/movement than the others without stretching out the shirt or the hole itself.
According to British GQ, the buttoning the top button debate has been running rampant in the fashion world for the last few years. It used to be a definite no-no, especially in the days of suit-and-tie rigidity, but it has emerged as a serious trend.
But in the interests of giving a definitive answer to a direct question, the answer is: two. Undoing just the top button on a dress shirt when going tieless often looks uptight, not terribly relaxed. This is particularly the case if you can see any strain on the fabric around the second button. It wants to be undone.
And yes, you can actually button the top button if you want to create a clean, polish outfit. It’s not something you want to do in all situations, but if you’re wearing a polo shirt with a blazer, for example, then it’s perfectly acceptable to button all the way up.