What is the advantage, if any of working sleeve button holes? And, are they considered de rigueur on MTM and Bespoke suits?
Working sleeve button holes.
rnoldh
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Functional button holes serve no functional purpose, although they are perhaps THE one (most noticeable) mark of finer jackets.
99% of the members on this forum swear by them (as do I). I have my tailor put functional buttons (usually three) on all the RTW jackets I buy (which often come with non-functional holes). Bespoke/MTM always come with functional button holes. If the bespoke/MTM company is reputable, you shouldn't even have to ask for functional button holes. More and more RTW jackets are coming with the option to have functional button holes, and higher-end RTW jackets have always come that way.
What I find worse than non-functional button holes is fake functional button holes. You usually find these sorts of buttons on Italian-made items (e.g., Zegna's lower lines).
99% of the members on this forum swear by them (as do I). I have my tailor put functional buttons (usually three) on all the RTW jackets I buy (which often come with non-functional holes). Bespoke/MTM always come with functional button holes. If the bespoke/MTM company is reputable, you shouldn't even have to ask for functional button holes. More and more RTW jackets are coming with the option to have functional button holes, and higher-end RTW jackets have always come that way.
What I find worse than non-functional button holes is fake functional button holes. You usually find these sorts of buttons on Italian-made items (e.g., Zegna's lower lines).
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A recent thread:rnoldh said:
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=47123&highlight=functional+sleeve+buttons
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And sleeve length can influence that.
My recent purchase of Isaia suits and sport coats resulted in regular buttons since the preparation of the sleeves for functional buttonholes by Isaia only goes up so far. And my tailor wouldn't do 2 functional with 2 non functional.
I appreciated his professional opinion and went without.
Perry
Let me not vote against the handsewn non functional buttonholes on higher end Italian lines (Zegna, Ravozzolo, Belvest, etc.) They have a bit of the look of the functional buttonhole, are nicely done and can add a bit of style on a SC when they are done in contrasting stitching as are the front buttonholes.
Perry
My recent purchase of Isaia suits and sport coats resulted in regular buttons since the preparation of the sleeves for functional buttonholes by Isaia only goes up so far. And my tailor wouldn't do 2 functional with 2 non functional.
I appreciated his professional opinion and went without.
Perry
Let me not vote against the handsewn non functional buttonholes on higher end Italian lines (Zegna, Ravozzolo, Belvest, etc.) They have a bit of the look of the functional buttonhole, are nicely done and can add a bit of style on a SC when they are done in contrasting stitching as are the front buttonholes.
Perry
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Personally, I like wearing jackets with functional sleeve buttons. I think it looks pretty cool even though nobody ever notices. I also wear them with the bottom button undone on one of the sleeves 
and I don't care if people think this is "vulgar" or whatever other epithet you want to throw at me (though I button all of them at work). Here's a picture of the functional sleeve buttons I got put on a Hickey Freeman hand-tailored suit:
and I don't care if people think this is "vulgar" or whatever other epithet you want to throw at me (though I button all of them at work). Here's a picture of the functional sleeve buttons I got put on a Hickey Freeman hand-tailored suit:
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I have functional buttonholes on a few jackets and like them. However, you should do them only to please yourself. Unless you happen to run into an AAAC member, no one else will notice or care.
One tip. Jackets adjust to your body after they have been worn a bit. I have the buttons sewn on for a few months and usually adjusted at least once before I am satisfied. Then I have the working button holes done.
One tip. Jackets adjust to your body after they have been worn a bit. I have the buttons sewn on for a few months and usually adjusted at least once before I am satisfied. Then I have the working button holes done.
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let me just pull this off my chest. i bought a couple of corneliani jackets at a very good price in this store. the store has an inhouse tailor that can do alterations. he shaved off an a few inches of the sleeves and i didnt notice it until i got home that he moved the buttons up, and basically killed the functioning buttonholes and replaced them with faux holes. pisses me off.
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Those aren't actually functional buttonholes that he removed. Corneliani RTW suits come with faux functional buttonholes (they have what looks like a buttonhole, but it doesn't actually work). Real functional buttonholes cannot be removed.acidicboy said:
Personally, I think it looks a bit strange with hand worked button holes on the sleeves, if all the other button holes - especially the one on the lapel - are machine made. The lapel hole can easily be done in the same way, unless it is cut open. When possible, I prefer to have that done as well. (On MTM suits, it shouldn't be a problem to have all the button holes hand worked; if the maker can't do it, at least you should be able to order it without any buttonholes at all, and then have it done in the shop or by a local tailor).
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Not all the time on bespoke...
I remeber Roetzel mentioning that up to quite resently A&S buttonholes did not open, it might be that some tailors still do not open them, at least with out the customer mentioning it?
I remeber Roetzel mentioning that up to quite resently A&S buttonholes did not open, it might be that some tailors still do not open them, at least with out the customer mentioning it?
A&S uses plastic buttons as well (as standard), or at least they did so. Really strange - I mean, horn buttons (or any maybe pearl buttons) would be the least you expect when ordering a fine bespoke suit.shoelovingSwede said:
I wonder if they also use polyester thread... ;-)
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It's also a good idea not to have the functional button holes too high up the sleeve, otherwise it ends up looking like an RTW gaarment. I have the functional buttonholes start at about 3/4 to 1 inch from the edge. flusser writes somthing about this in his book "Style and the Man", and he's right. The RTW garment always betrays it's origins if the sleeve buttons are too high...
They still do plastic as a default. I suppose you could ask for horn, as that doesn't cost any more.Henrik RS said:
They also tend to do false buttonholes unless you put it in your file that you hate the idea. Even then, you're likely to get the standard SR 2 + 2, rather than all 4 opening.
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To answer the original question, the function as I see it is to avoid the look of either non-functional buttons or faux bottonholes - neither of which looks very nice.
There is also the satisfaction - such as it is - of knowing that everything on your suit works and isn't entirely for show.
There is also the satisfaction - such as it is - of knowing that everything on your suit works and isn't entirely for show.
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Ah...except for that lapel button hole which rarely has a mating button under the right lapel....Cantabrigian said:
JB
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