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.
In this post
Four-Button DB Jacket
Most suits today are only buttoned on the top one or on both. Traditionally, a double-breasted suit with peak lapels was more formal and all buttons were buttoned at all times. Only when you would sit would you unbutton the bottom one.
The traditional way to button a two-button jacket is to Always fasten the top button and leave the lower undone.
Never Fasten the Bottom Button
Don’t do it! This applies to 1, 2, or 3-button blazers, sports coats, trench coats, cardigans, mac coats and duffle coats. Pretty much every type of coat with buttons. Buttoning that last button is the quickest way of ensuring you look like an amateur.
If you have a single button suit or jacket, you should wear it fastened when standing or walking and leave it open when sitting so you don’t pull the fabric.
The answer goes back to a very fat king: King Edward VII.
As fashion blogs and magazines will tell you, there’s a story that King Edward VII, back when he was the Prince of Wales and suits were becoming in vogue, got too fat for his waistcoat so he stopped buttoning the bottom button to make it fit better.
The top button is all you need. 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.
Buttoning rules for two-button suit jackets
The traditional way to button a two-button jacket is to fasten the top button and leave the lower undone. The top button on these jackets should ALWAYS be buttoned when standing. Unbutton the jacket only when sitting down to avoid creases.
The when-to-button rule is: When wearing a single-breasted jacket from a suit, a blazer, sport coat or black-tie evening suit (tuxedo), the jacket is always buttoned when a man is standing and always unbuttoned when he is seated.
Loosen up, guys. It’s a well-documented style rule that men should never button the second button of a two-button suit jacket. It’s considered appropriate to button the top one when standing, sure, but never the second.
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.
Amidst a battle, while treating wounded soldiers, the doctors would understandably stain their jackets. The ever practical tailors on Savile Row in London introduced functional buttons on the cuffs of a jacket’s sleeve, so that the doctors could roll their sleeves up when needed.
Why was the trench coat banned?
In the wake of these incidents, many public schools in the US forbade students from wearing trench coats, both because of their cultural associations and on the grounds that they could be used to conceal weapons.
How do you wear a trench coat without looking creepy?
The most important factors are length, color, and styling. First off, look for something that ends in the general knee area. For a more rock-star look, try wearing an all-black or navy trench. Most of the time you can leave it open and flowing, as long as you have something on underneath.
How do you wear a sports coat?
5 Ways to Wear a Sport Coat
- Accessorize with a sweater or pocket square. Consider wearing a cashmere sweater between your coat and buttondown for a more academic look in the colder months.
- Choose formal pants.
- Incorporate patterns and textures with your shirt and tie.
- Experiment with fabric.
- Try it with jeans.
Can you keep blazer Open?
“If you’re wearing a suit or blazer to a wedding or formal event, you should never leave your jacket open—but if you’re wearing a blazer casually with chinos or jeans, you can keep it relaxed and open.”
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.
Do you take off your suit jacket when driving?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but movies will remain a fiction. You should never have your Suit Jacket on when driving, and the main reason would be the Seatbelt. Seatbelts will put pressure on your jackets, causing wrinkles.
Do you take off your suit jacket when sitting?
The traditional etiquette states that you should keep your jacket on when sitting down for a meal. You shouldn’t remove your jacket unless you absolutely have to, and when you’re wearing it, you’ll want to make sure it’s unbuttoned when you’re sitting.
Can you wear a sport coat open?
“If you’re wearing a suit or blazer to a wedding or formal event, you should never leave your jacket open—but if you’re wearing a blazer casually with chinos or jeans, you can keep it relaxed and open.” 3.
Do Blazers have to close?
The rule is so simple for men: When they stand up, the top button of their suit jacket should be buttoned; when they sit down, they can unbutton.