How is this "trad" to have 2 buttons? Was there a thread or something I missed? The only jacket I would even consider with only 2 buttons would have to be something very casual like a blazer, or something really unique like white buttons or turnback buffs. They definately do not need to be functional button holes though.

 

Somebody else will be able to offer a more definitive response but while you're waiting: I think it was (is) J. Press who was known for having two buttons on their jacket sleeves. Pretty sure BB has always had three but my mind hasn't thought about this stuff in a while. (I haven't been on the forum much recently and have forgotten much of what I used to know). Like that third button on the back of ocbds, it's a small detail.

They don't need to be functional buttons.

 

I have two older BB blazers, both with only two buttons on the sleeves. So when I got my contemporary one, I asked that they please leave only two buttons on the sleeves (instead of three.)

As for suits, I think my two vintage poplin BBs have only two buttons, but other suits have three or more. To me it's a more casual look, or a less suity look anyway. And I wear both those poplin jackets as odd jackets often enough.

I own no jackets with functional sleeve buttons....

 

I don't know how it came about, but many (most?) of the vintage 3/2 sacks from all manufacturers have only two sleeve buttons, which includes both suits and odd jackets. Two sleeve buttons is definitely part of the "look" along with swelled/lapped seams, and hook vents. If it's my jacket, I'm only having two buttons on the sleeve.

 

Agreed. This is consistent with both actual vintage pieces I've found and historic photos of folks and store windows. I don't think I'd get them as working buttons, though, as it doesn't seem either correct or practical.

 

It was mostly Brooks. The three button sacks, both jackets and suits, all had two buttons on the sleeve, spaced a bit apart. This is going back to the old "Makers" and "346" jackets. Every one that I've seen from before the 90s have this feature.

I've read here and elsewhere that it was so the salesmen could easily identify the jackets on the racks: three buttons on the sleeve for 2-button suits, two buttons on the sleeve for three-button sacks. I think that may be urban legend. Never seen it confirmed by a reputable source.

Max, I love the idea. Just have someone show you an example of what it looked like on an old BB jacket. It can look terribly wrong if they are spaced too closely or too far apart.

JB

 

Thanks for the responses. I just googled a little bit and found that some of last season's Black Fleece suit jackets has two buttons on the sleeves. At lease I have something to reference. I'll probably go to the 346 Mad. store just to be sure.

Can anyone share pics of your two button sleeves? Please?

 

Can anyone share pics of your two button sleeves? Please?

Honestly, the easiest way to find pics of two buttons on the sleeve is to take some time and skim through the pictures in the thrift exchange thread.

Here's a jacket I sold last week (McGregor 3/2 sack). I also purchased a vintage BB 346 suit last week that has two sleeve buttons - if curious I'll measure the distance between the two buttons.

 

Well, looks like I was horribly wrong about it being mostly a J. Press thing. There has to be a thread (or several) on this topic somewhere in the archives.

 

How is this "trad" to have 2 buttons? Was there a thread or something I missed? The only jacket I would even consider with only 2 buttons would have to be something very casual like a blazer, or something really unique like white buttons or turnback buffs. They definately do not need to be functional button holes though.

The something you missed was the approximately 20-30 year period where Brooks, Press, Jos. A. Bank (when they made their own well-made suits) put two buttons on the sleeves of 3-button sacks, and three buttons on the two-button darted jackets.

 

The something you missed was the approximately 20-30 year period where Brooks, Press, Jos. A. Bank (when they made their own well-made suits) put two buttons on the sleeves of 3-button sacks, and three buttons on the two-button darted jackets.

And IIRC, at BB in the "old days" (for me that's the late 70s), 4 buttons on the sleeve meant a DB.

It was a handy system b/c back then BB used double-decker suit racks that ran along the walls of almost the entire back half of their downtown-DC store at 19th & L (there were also single-deck "islands" of suits as well) and the garments were packed in pretty tight and hung quite close together.

With the varying-sleeve-buttons system, you didn't have to yank things out or disturb the clothing much at all to find the style you wanted. It saved the clerks and customers time and hassle and also saved shopwear on the suits and jackets.

 

Honestly, the easiest way to find pics of two buttons on the sleeve is to take some time and skim through the pictures in the thrift exchange thread.

Here's a jacket I sold last week (McGregor 3/2 sack). I also purchased a vintage BB 346 suit last week that has two sleeve buttons - if curious I'll measure the distance between the two buttons.

Thanks for the pic and thanks for mentioning the thrift exchange. I'll skim after posting this.

 

Functioning cuffs are a bit too look-at-me, IMO. As for button-numbers, I think every Press Jacket I own has three buttons on the sleeve, and every older BB has 1 or 2 (newer ones sometimes go as high as 4). Here are some pix of my BBs (all are 3/2 sacks).

Gray suit: two buttons.
Navy blazer: only one button.
Tweed jacket: two buttons.

I have a navy worsted BB suit, a navy flannel suit, and a brown POW suit, all with two buttons on the sleeve.

 

Thank a lot guys. On my way this morning to BB. Two button sleeves I go!!!!!

 

All of my older BB suits have 2-buttons on the sleeve, while the blazers have three. Funny that this thread raises this issue - I just noticed this nice detail on an episode of Mad Men (I'm watching the old seasons prior season four) - both Pete's and Don's suitcoats had two buttons.

 

My Press blazer, two years old now, has three buttons, but older stuff has two. Indeed, checking buttons is how I troll thrifts. If I see a sleeve with two, I'll take a second look, even if I already own, at last count, nine navy blazers.

 

Two Button Old School

It's a issue of personal choice. I have had the vast majority of my suits - some of which are MTM or Golden Fleece OTR- tailored with two buttons per cuff.

Alternately, I have my last nine BB and H. Freeman MTM sport coats (over the past twenty years) tailored with three button surgeion's cuffs primarily because the BB rep and Cincinnati mens specialty store at which I purchsed them agreed to thrown them into the deals at no cost.

I understand that $25.00 per hole is the current going rate for each surgeon's cuff hole, something that gets pretty steep for six buttons. Alternately, $25.00 to turn a nice looking 2 button sport coat into a finer 3 button rig is a nice deal.