[gnatty8]

To answer your original question, I see no reason to have your tailor either add "fake" stitching (I think the reason why is contained right there) or working buttonholes. If the coat came with buttons attached, chances are that adding working buttonholes will require a lot of labor and a lot of cost to you. I personally simply have the buttons put back, no fake stitching or working buttonholes.

 

[gnatty8]

This depends on the brand, Hackett and Aquascutum have working cuffs on some their lower-end suits

I recently saw some Perry Ellis suits at Dillards with working buttonholes at the cuffs.. Cost was under $250.

 

[gnatty8]

I am pretty much in agreement with everything you've said there Mike..

 

[gnatty8]

I'd like to go back to my earlier point about functioning buttonholes, not fake ones, on jacket sleeves. I love them. I wish I had them on my jackets.

What I don't like are those folks who have them but then have this self-imposed "rule" about never unbuttoning the things. I can't tell you how many pictures I've seen of men who are noted for being well dressed in bygone years who had their jacket sleeves unbuttoned, often turned up, much like the picture of David Niven that I posted.

To me this is the same as spending large sums of money on elaborate, decorative suspenders and then treating them like underwear, fearful that someone might actually see them. It just makes no sense to me. But then again I don't really understand the Theory of Relativity either. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser

As I have said before, I have functioning buttonholes on some of my trousers, but I usually keep those buttoned up as well. I see no utility in keeping a button or two unbuttoned. It does not make my wrists more comfortable, or allow me more freedom of movement. As to why I still go through the added expense of adding functioning buttons, that is a more complex question, and I am honestly not even sure myself. It just "feels" right, so I do it.