If A&S generally does (or did until recently) false buttonholes and the standard for Savile Row is 2+2, then:

1) where did this whole idea that working button holes are a sign of quality? A&S and SR in general are the top when it comes to quality, after all.

I suppose Savile Row is not the only game in town. I don't really see the logic in saying that if the SR firms aren't doing it then it's not a sign of quality. There's something beautiful about nicely sewn buttonholes on the sleeve, whether or not SR does it.

2) If 2+2 is the standard for SR with two funtional and two faux funtional, then why do people poo-poo four faux funtional so much? Any other reason than, faux funtional is simply not as good as functional? Me, I'd prefer a set of correctly placed faux funtional over buttons just sewn on.

Faux functional just doesn't look as good as actual functional. I don't mind my suits having faux functional buttonholes, and I wouldn't spend the money to make them actually functional, but functional buttonholes look slightly better.

3) On 2+2, isn't it easy to tell?

No idea

4) which is more important: funtioning button holes or hand sewn button holes? In other words if you had a choice between machine sewn functioning button holes and hand sewn faux button holes, which would you pick?

Personally, if they are not handsewn then there is really no point to them. It's the handsewing that makes them look good. I don't think anybody does handsewn faux button holes (unless the SR folks do them on the two buttons that aren't functional).

5) If a suit has faux button holes, can it still be converted to functional?

As long as the material of the suit is sturdy enough that the tailor can pick out the faux buttonhole stitching without damaging the fabric, which is entirely doable in most cases, then yes, they can pick out the stitching on the faux buttonholes and make them into real ones.

6) If you where "upgrading" a decent OTR suit, place the following in order of importance (if you where to do them): a) convert faux holes to functioning, b) replace plastic buttons with horn, c) have the tailor cross stitch the buttons. (I'd more then likely go with C, B, A-perhaps stopping at C).

This is mostly personal preference. Everybody will be different.

Lastly, at the next Ask Andy anual shindig, I propose a friendly contest/experiment pitting bespoke vs. OTR suits and seeing if people can pick out which is which at various distances (i.e., 100 paces, 50 paces, 20 paces, 10 feet, etc.).

Sounds like an excellent idea.

 

c) have the tailor cross stitch the buttons.

Is cross stitching really a sign of quality? I thought that this was merely a matter of personal taste. Please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it less common on Italian suits? As far as I am have seen, neither Kiton nor Brioni cross stitch their buttons (unless requested).

Perhaps any of the tailors/cutters here would like to comment...?

 

i would guess it perhaps had something to do when we all still rode horses and wore gloves, so you can open the sleave and put the glove underneath the same as with a bike jkt

 

All Kiton and most Brioni suits and sportscoats come ready to have functioning sleeve buttons. Also, I like to have overcoats with working sleeve buttons.
https://whatareyouwearingtoday.blogspot.com/

 

Is cross stitching really a sign of quality? I thought that this was merely a matter of personal taste. Please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it less common on Italian suits? As far as I am have seen, neither Kiton nor Brioni cross stitch their buttons (unless requested).

Perhaps any of the tailors/cutters here would like to comment...?

I have read that cross stitch is stronger and also harder to do for machine-I think it was in Flusser's "Style and the Man".

Looking what's in my closet: no name Italian and Kiton do not have it, but a Zegna does.

 

I've seen some Sean John suits with functioning sleeve buttonholes. Made me wonder how difficult/expensive it would be for other makers to have them on OTR suits.

 

I've seen some Sean John suits with functioning sleeve buttonholes. Made me wonder how difficult/expensive it would be for other makers to have them on OTR suits.

Charles Tyrwhitt has them, $495 (currently $371.25) for the jacket and $225 (currently $168.75) for the trousers.

I think there are also 50% first time buyer coupons around -I do not know if you can combine with the sale price (I doubt it)-but without the sale that works out to $360 for a suit with the 50% off. At that price, I have been considering one two of the following: linen or cotton suit, the charcoal wool or the birds eye navy wool.

 

Is cross stitching really a sign of quality? I thought that this was merely a matter of personal taste. Please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it less common on Italian suits?

I heard one funny story from a bespoke tailor who had made a suit for a client that (in his opinion) was very successful but which kept getting returned in the mail after delivery. Several times. No specific comment, except that it "wasn't right." A lot of head scratching went on in the shop until he noticed that the buttons were all cross-stitched-- and the client was emphatically not Christian. So he re-did the buttons and never had another complaint from there.

 

Cost of working buttonholes

Any info on the cost of adding working buttonholes to an Isaia suit that comes with the option of adding them?

 

I just took an Isaia in and the cost was 130 for two sleeves. The sleeves needed to shorten an inch or so and than 4 button holes in each sleeve.

Perry

 

I just took an Isaia in and the cost was 130 for two sleeves. The sleeves needed to shorten an inch or so and than 4 button holes in each sleeve.

Perry

Thanks - sounds about the same as I was quoted ($100 for the buttonholes plus the other alterations).