I know the rule is to wear one's jacket buttoned while standing and unbuttoned while sitting. However, sometimes I find it cool to wear my jacket open. Is this a major fashion faux pas? Is anyone with me on this one?
Wearing one's jacket open
youngdandy
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To throw in an exception to the 'everything looks better buttoned' rule: the evening dress coat is fitted unbuttoned and therefore looks best unbuttoned.
There was an amusing story about this in an issue of (I think) Tailor and cutter magasine, circa Great War. A certain tailor's client bespoke a dress coat and then complained that it was too small. He tried it on at the tailor's shop, unbuttoned. The tailor looked at him and said the coat was perfect. 'But,' says the client, 'I cannot button it.' Apparently, this client was of some old school that buttoned their dress coats. (Not surprising as the riding dress coat is buttoned.)
At afternoon funerals, wear a frock coat and top hat. Should the funeral be your own, the hat may be dispensed with.
--The Cynic's Rules of Conduct. 1905
There was an amusing story about this in an issue of (I think) Tailor and cutter magasine, circa Great War. A certain tailor's client bespoke a dress coat and then complained that it was too small. He tried it on at the tailor's shop, unbuttoned. The tailor looked at him and said the coat was perfect. 'But,' says the client, 'I cannot button it.' Apparently, this client was of some old school that buttoned their dress coats. (Not surprising as the riding dress coat is buttoned.)
At afternoon funerals, wear a frock coat and top hat. Should the funeral be your own, the hat may be dispensed with.
--The Cynic's Rules of Conduct. 1905
I find that almost every Englishman that I see in London wears his jacket closed. I find that a great number of men in Italy wear them open.
IMO, they look good open only if they are cut close to the body. A boxier jacket looks like hell open.
The "best dressed man in the world" Luca di Montezemolo almost always has his SB jackets unbuttoned while the DBs are always buttoned.
IMO, they look good open only if they are cut close to the body. A boxier jacket looks like hell open.
The "best dressed man in the world" Luca di Montezemolo almost always has his SB jackets unbuttoned while the DBs are always buttoned.
I think too much is being made of this. If you like to button your jacket, button it. If you don't, don't.
Jackets do look more formal when buttoned. On the other hand, in these times, I appreciate someone who takes the time to wear a suit or tie. I congratulate them whether their jacket is buttoned or open.
Jackets do look more formal when buttoned. On the other hand, in these times, I appreciate someone who takes the time to wear a suit or tie. I congratulate them whether their jacket is buttoned or open.
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Unapologetic, but is it style? That look may have been commonplace then (50s?) but was it stylish at the time? Even if it was it fails to make the transition to the present day.quote:Originally posted by JLPWCXIII
It's difficult to imagine that sort of dressing at a similar event today. Unapologetic style.
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Too constrained, too dull!
You must understand that at the time of this photo Versace had not even been born.quote:Originally posted by Brideshead
Unapologetic, but is it style? That look may have been commonplace then (50s?) but was it stylish at the time? Even if it was it fails to make the transition to the present day.quote:Originally posted by JLPWCXIII
It's difficult to imagine that sort of dressing at a similar event today. Unapologetic style.
![Image]()
Too constrained, too dull!
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1,446 Posts
Sorry, I was overreacting to cpac's response. Seriously though, the question of buttoning and unbuttoning is not really one of comfort - it's to do with the language of clothing. That language carries a message, whether you like it or not, and it's important to be aware of what you're saying. There are times (not many, admittedly) when the signals sent by buttoning/unbuttoning can be important - e.g. in a very tricky negotiation. The "rules" are often just rules of interpersonal communication, on a par with body language, say. Still, you're right, it's just a suit coat.
Because you will look like a fool and your jacket will look bad.
The jacket is designed and tailored to look good when closed. When left open the front pulls sags, the back rises up and a pushes out from the bottom, and the whole thing drapes like crap with odd rolls, waves and ungulations that do not belong.
Leaving the jacket unbuttoned is the quickest way to make a perfectly tailored fine suit look cheap. The second quickest is to overlook a pocket square. Conversely, the easiest way to make a cheap suit look better is to 1) wear the jacket closed and add a pocket square.
Lead me not into Banana Republic, but into a world of sartorial tempation.
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quote:Originally posted by Vik
kirk...
![Image]()
koji
As other forum members well know, I'm frequently against the notion of "rules" for dress, often because the original reason for a particular rule is so lost in the fog of the past as to have no current validity. This is not one of those cases. Aesthetically, a suit is generally designed with the jacket buttoned; this is the condition under which the lines flow properly and it looks its best. The exceptions might be a 3-piece suit or a sports coat-vest combination, which frequently look their best worn jacket-open.
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