[chris2008]

Is it true that suit jackets made for women will not have a buttonhole on the lapel? If this is true, is it still perfectly fine for a man's suit jacket or odd jacket to be made without a buttonhole on the lapel?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Vecchio Vespa]

Is it true that suit jackets made for women will not have a buttonhole on the lapel? If this is true, is it still perfectly fine for a man's suit jacket or odd jacket to be made without a buttonhole on the lapel?

Thanks,

Chris

I do not know about women's lapels, but if a man has no lapel buttonhole, where will he wear his Cecil Brunner rose or, on Armistice Day, his red poppy?

 

[Matt S]

I think it was more common in the 1970s and 1980s for men's jackets not to have lapel buttonholes. I think lapels look incomplete without a buttonhole, but it's not incorrect to omit. The only time a lapel looks best without a buttonhole is on a shawl collar.

 

[JBierly]

I think it was more common in the 1970s and 1980s for men's jackets not to have lapel buttonholes. I think lapels look incomplete without a buttonhole, but it's not incorrect to omit. The only time a lapel looks best without a buttonhole is on a shawl collar.

Correct me if I am wrong - but I have always thought that the buttonhole was a vestige of a functioning way to close the collar when necessary (cold weather). A shawl collar would not be large enough nor shaped properly to be folded close in this manner - hence there would be no reason for a buttonhole.(?)

 

[Searching_Best_Fit]

Correct me if I am wrong - but I have always thought that the buttonhole was a vestige of a functioning way to close the collar when necessary (cold weather). A shawl collar would not be large enough nor shaped properly to be folded close in this manner - hence there would be no reason for a buttonhole.(?)

You are correct in your thought that the lapel button hole was the reminiscent of how the front quarters were opened from a Nehru jacket, or jacket for that matter that can close up to the throat area. The throat latch closes the collar, while the top button hole closes the front quarters.

With the various design of lapels of wider or narrower ones that function becomes obsolete, but it should still be useful if the jacket is cut with that function in mind.

 

[Matt S]

Correct me if I am wrong - but I have always thought that the buttonhole was a vestige of a functioning way to close the collar when necessary (cold weather). A shawl collar would not be large enough nor shaped properly to be folded close in this manner - hence there would be no reason for a buttonhole.(?)

Searching_Best_Fit is correct that what are now known as notch lapels were originally designed to close. Lapels originated from folding over the top of a jacket. With the way most modern notch lapels are shaped, there is a bump at the base of the lapel that looks awkward when the lapels are turned up. Still, I have some button three jackets that have a button on the back of the right lapel so that it can fasten with the buttonhole at the top of the left lapel. These also come with a throat latch to fasten the collar. If you're going to fasten the collar, you should be doing up the top of the lapels as well.

Some shawl collars are large enough to overlap if flipped over, but because it's a decorative collar there's no reason for it to have a buttonhole since it was never designed to fasten liked notched lapels were. A buttonhole in a shawl collar is just there for a boutonniere flower.