Conventional wisdom states that you always button your suit jacket. This is good advice: a buttoned suit jacket is more slimming than an unbuttoned one. What’s more, it shows off the cut of the suit itself to the best possible effect. When in doubt, you should always fasten your suit jacket.
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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.
Regardless, no matter what kind of suit you’re wearing, the bottom button should never be buttoned up. For a waistcoat, there’s a similar rule: always leave the bottom button open.
Your next button, sitting in the middle, is your ‘always’ button. This is the button you should always wear done up when standing or walking. The last button at the bottom of your jacket is your ‘never’ button. The one button you never need to do up, regardless of if you’re sitting or standing.
Men’s Suit Button Rules – Double-Breasted Jackets
If you plan to leave some buttons undone, it is most traditional to fasten the top button. However, men who prefer a longer line have been leaving the lowest button undone, including members of the British royal family, so you’re probably safe either way.
Wider lapels make the eye travel down. They are customary with a one-button suit, which lowers the button stance and is ideal for taller men. Therefore, a one-button suit is often recommended for a great look that can fit both casual and formal settings.
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.
Yes, by all means, unbutton your suit while sitting. Really, it’s not that big of a deal, tone it down. Of course, feel free to leave it buttoned if that works for you too.
How tight should a suit jacket be?
Generally, the bottom edge of a jacket should end between the two knuckles on your thumb. This rule can be pushed a little bit when wearing a casual sport coat because they tend to be a little shorter.
“Leaving your blazer buttoned when you sit down can pull the fabric and exacerbate the effects of any weight you may have in the middle—while buttoning the jacket when you stand up pulls in your silhouette and makes you look leaner.”
Can you wear a suit jacket as a blazer?
The answer is yes—but there’s a proper way to pull the look off. It’s all about finding the right brands, construction, fit, and finish. The suit isn’t a power suit with sharp shoulders and chest padding, The fabric has a more dressed-down feel will ensure a fluid transition from dress-up to dress-down.
What is the difference between a sport coat and a suit jacket?
A sport coat is a patterned jacket that coordinates with trousers that are not made of the same fabric or have the same pattern. A blazer is a solid color jacket with contrasting (often metal) buttons. And a suit coat has a pair of pants made from the same fabric/pattern as the coat.
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.
The Skinny On A Big King
Because he was too portly to wear suit jackets buttoned at the bottom. Out of respect for their king, English men started leaving their bottom button undone as well. And to this day, well-dressed men don’t use the bottom button on single-breasted suit jackets.
How to wear a 3 piece suit? Jacket can be worn buttoned or unbuttoned. The waistcoat must always be worn buttoned all the way up, leaving the bottom button open. In the past the open bottom button prevented the waistcoat from riding-up when on horseback.
The single-breasted model remains the most popular type of tuxedo jacket and its classic one-button interpretation is still the most formal. A modern variation is the two-button version based on business suit styling.
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.
Should sleeves show under suit?
Ideally, you should try to show about 1/4 inch of your shirt cuffs when standing and 1/2 inch when sitting. If you’re unable to achieve this amount of exposed cuff, you may need to upgrade to a larger dress shirt with longer sleeves. Alternatively, you can switch to a smaller suit jacket with shorter sleeves.
Do you wear a belt with a suit?
As you can see, there is no one solid answer to the belt or no belt with a suit question. While modern fashion-forward men view no belt with a suit as a better line and a more formal look that showcases your tailoring, older or more traditional men may say that a belt and suit must be worn together.
Is my suit too loose?
Allow for about a quarter-inch of shirtsleeve to protrude below your jacket. The button – your jacket should button snugly without pulling on either side (usually causing an x-shaped crease to form). If you can easily fit a fist between the buttoned jacket and your stomach, it’s too loose.
How is blazer different from suit?
Blazers are less formal than suit jackets. A blazer must not be as poised as the suit jacket, therefore it’s typically unlined, unpadded, the lapels aren’t edge-stitched. The blazer is very light, comfortable to wear over multiple clothes.