[RJman]

When you get your first few bespoke/MTM suits, you're going to leave a button or three undone, because you can and it's a novelty. Later, you know better.

 

[stcolumba]

When you get your first few bespoke/MTM suits, you're going to leave a button or three undone, because you can and it's a novelty. Later, you know better.

Amen!

 

[eagle2250]

Only around certain people when my wife isn't looking...:icon_smile_big:

Might we consider that merely a "flash of the not so obvious(!)?"

 

[Simon Myerson]

I leave a button undone - because I can. I wear a discrete suit, with a discrete shirt, discrete links a discrete tie and discrete shoes.

I don't regard a button undone as flash because I take the view that all things need to be seen in context. I have working cuffs because I need them to work (in my case to allow my shirt cuffs and watch to protrude from my jacket sleeve). If I didn't need them to work, why would I have them? If you do not need to open your bottom button then your sleeve isn't properly cut

 

[wgb]

I leave a button undone - because I can. I wear a discrete suit, with a discrete shirt, discrete links a discrete tie and discrete shoes.

Perhaps you mean "discreet", as in "having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech" ? I hope hope that your various articles of clothing are discrete, separate entities -- jumpsuits look awful!

As far as needing to have the cuff unbuttoned or the sleeve is ill-cut, I've not heard that before.

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

Presumably because the jacket sleeve should - historically/traditionally - prevent the shirt sleeve from riding low? Unbuttoning the jacket sleev would thus allow it to be shown.

That's only a guess though.

 

[15402]

Don't people generally wear the first button unbuttoned on the cuffs to show the detail in the jacket? I was told to leave my first button undone to show how much hand work was done on a coat. They're called surgeon cuffs, because doctors would need to unbutton them to roll up their sleeves and operate. Regular "unsmart" folks didn't need them, hence didn't pay the money for hand stitched button holes.

Considering that they sell sports coats at The Gap with working button holes, hell the latest Charles Tyrwhitt catalogue boasts about their off the rack coats having them, I think the "logic" of leaving one or more unbuttoned has vanished.

At any rate, I find the practice very loathsome.

 

[mafoofan]

Considering that they sell sports coats at The Gap with working button holes, hell the latest Charles Tyrwhitt catalogue boasts about their off the rack coats having them, I think the "logic" of leaving one or more unbuttoned has vanished.

The logic has only vanished if you assume the sole purpose of leaving your cuffs unbuttoned is to demonstrate the price or craftsmanship of your jacket.

 

[encyclopedia]

The logic has only vanished if you assume the sole purpose of leaving your cuffs unbuttoned is to demonstrate the price or craftsmanship of your jacket.

Ok well other than some obscure case-by-case things like a) I need to show my watch at work b) I've had this jacket 40 years and it only fits this way and I just love it so much c) I'm often engaged in trench warfare where I might need to suture a blood-gushing wound quickly d) I had just finished sewing up a wound from a german machine gun attack when they started with the mustard gas and I didn't have time to button up before putting on the gas mask...what r the reasons?

Those r all legitimate reasons, especially d, but how many of us r still trying to take ypres? If I c u running with a gas mask on ill excuse the unbuttoned cuffs. But u still better have a belt that matches ur shoes.

 

[Cruiser]

At any rate, I find the practice very loathsome.

From YourDictionary.com
loathsome
causing loathing; disgusting; abhorrent; detestable

While I certainly feel this for sexual predators, child abusers, and murderers; it sounds a little harsh to feel this way toward someone just because they leave a couple of sleeve buttons unbuttoned. And not just "loathsome", you said "very" loathsome.

I just hope that if I ever get charged with a crime you aren't on the jury. I hate to think how you feel about people who really do something wrong. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser

 

[mafoofan]

Ok well other than some obscure case-by-case things like a) I need to show my watch at work b) I've had this jacket 40 years and it only fits this way and I just love it so much c) I'm often engaged in trench warfare where I might need to suture a blood-gushing wound quickly d) I had just finished sewing up a wound from a german machine gun attack when they started with the mustard gas and I didn't have time to button up before putting on the gas mask...what r the reasons?

Those r all legitimate reasons, especially d, but how many of us r still trying to take ypres? If I c u running with a gas mask on ill excuse the unbuttoned cuffs. But u still better have a belt that matches ur shoes.

Maybe I just think it looks better. Why? Well, as I've pointed out, I like my cuff to look a little more open. It happens to nicely parallel how you button your jacket.

Others may have their own reasons or whims, without resorting to the obscurities you mention. Obviously, I can't list them all.

From YourDictionary.com
loathsome
causing loathing; disgusting; abhorrent; detestable

While I certainly feel this for sexual predators, child abusers, and murderers; it sounds a little harsh to feel this way toward someone just because they leave a couple of sleeve buttons unbuttoned. And not just "loathsome", you said "very" loathsome.

I just hope that if I ever get charged with a crime you aren't on the jury. I hate to think how you feel about people who really do something wrong. :icon_smile_big:

This has also been my point all along: it just doesn't matter that much. Fussing so much over people not buttoning their cuff buttons is as bad as fussing over leaving them unbuttoned, if you ask me.

 

[JerseyJohn]

There are two distinct views on such displays ...

Of those who know what surgeon cuff's are, some will think:

1. There's a fellow with a very fine, hand made suit.

Others will think:

2. There's a fellow who wants everyone to know how fine his suit is, how much money it cost, how much money he has ...

Or

3. There's a fellow who forgot to finish buttoning his sleeves.

 

[encyclopedia]

Maybe I just think it looks better. Why? Well, as I've pointed out, I like my cuff to look a little more open. It happens to nicely parallel how you button your jacket.

Others may have their own reasons or whims, without resorting to the obscurities you mention. Obviously, I can't list them all.

This has also been my point all along: it just doesn't matter that much. Fussing so much over people not buttoning their cuff buttons is as bad as fussing over leaving them unbuttoned, if you ask me.

Broadly I agree with you on both points. I don't care if someone does this. I might smirk or assume it tells me something about their character (which clearly can be wrong, and as ill get to in a second wouldn't apply to you anyway). Whatever, its a small thing. not nearly as important as pattern matching!

Ur reason - I like the look, more open/casual - is fine. For someone that carefully considers their clothes, aims for a look, really considers each aspect - to each his own, enjoy yourself. I was speaking more to the doesnt-properly-fit-gap-sportcoat crowd. Or those suits in hawes+curtis (I think) with two unbuttoned buttons where there aren't any real buttonholes - just the sewn-on ones - and u couldn't button them if u tried without a knife. For 99pct+ its pretty clear what the real agenda is.

Maybe I should say it applies if the buttonhole u r showing isn't something that was clearly made carefully, elegantly, lovingly. If u spent what the suit cost to have real buttonholes put on and then wear them open uve got some issues. Maybe we can all agree on that too?

 

[haruki]

What if cost(buttonholes) > cost(suit) ?

If u spent what the suit cost to have real buttonholes put on and then wear them open uve got some issues. Maybe we can all agree on that too?

Agreed.

 

[videocrew]

Georgia's Dennis Felton uses Charlotte, N.C., tailor Carey Mitchell, who services several NBA players and professional and college coaches across the country. -Jacksonville Times

There was an article about his style (widely praised by laymen) a few years back in the UGA student newspaper, but I'm really not interested in hunting it down right now.

 

[MoosicPa]

Unbuttoned

I wear one button undone on my jackets. What's the point of having functioning buttons if you don't use them? My tailor went though the effort to put them there, so who am I not to use them? For those who don't like the practice.....too bad.

 

[rgrossicone]

I can't believe this thread made it to a page two...clearly there are some strong feelings about this practice. To me, it doesn't seem to advertise anything...out of 1000 people, if one notices your buttoned (or unbuttoned) cuffs, maybe that person has as many issues as the wearer for consciously unbuttoning (or buttoning for that matter).

I mean, its not like the question was, "Hey, I saw a guy wearing a very nice suit, and he left all the tags on to show where he got it and how much he spent...is this common practice or acceptable? I'd also be curious to know what you think about having a diamond encrusted dollar sign hanging from a platinum chain OUTSIDE the shirt." Now that would justify a second page!:aportnoy:

 

[whistle_blower71]

I leave the last two buttons undone if I am wearing a jacket/blazer with jeans and an open necked shirt and I am feeling a bit spivvy and eurotrashy. I probably would not be wearing socks with this outfit.:icon_smile:

I would never do it with formal wear or a suit+tie...although I used to in my early 20s when it was a novelty. These days I do not even bother to take my jackets back to the tailors to have the holes cut through. Although I insist that they are always prepared to be made working.

W_B

 

[Mark from Plano]

I've come to think of it [leaving cuff buttons undone] like an endzone dance: There's nothing inherently wrong with it and sometimes it's entertaining. But at the end of the day there's something more refined about the guy that just hands the ball back to the ref like he's been there before.

That said, I do it occassionally. But then I'm a philistine. :aportnoy:

 

[Cruiser]

I can't believe I found a picture of Coach Felton with the infamous unbuttoned buttons.
https://img245.imageshack.us/my.php?image=feltonhm7.jpg

Cruiser