Jacket Buttons

"Which buttons do I button on my suit jacket/sportscoat?" may be the all-time most-asked men's style question. It's also one of the easiest to answer.

One-button jacket: classic tuxedo jackets feature one button, which is to be buttoned.

Two-button jackets: button the top button, leave the bottom undone.

Three-button jackets: this one is just a little more complicated. First, always leave the bottom button undone and button the middle button. Whether to button the top button on a three-button jacket depends on the style of the lapel. In a "3-roll-2" jacket, the roll of the lapel covers the top button, essentially turning the jacket into a two-button jacket.

A 3-roll-2 jacket.

However, some three-button jackets do not have this type of lapel roll, and with these you can choose whether or not to button the top button. With these, take a look in the mirror and determine which is the better look for your particular jacket.

This jacket may maintain cleaner lines with the top button buttoned.

Four-button (or more) single-breasted jackets: buy yourself a 2- or 3-button jacket.

Double-breasted jackets: with these, the bottom button is optional, with all other buttons buttoned.

When should your jacket be buttoned? As often as possible, but always while standing. Your jacket was designed to be buttoned and, if properly tailored, is more flattering (i.e., slimming) when buttoned. Some single-breasted jackets will not present as well if buttoned while sitting, though, so you may want to unbutton it to sit. (Double-breasted jackets generally look better buttoned at all times, including while sitting.)

Addendum [8/15]: a wise reader writes to suggest we mention the royal origins behind the bottom-button rule. The Art of Manliness has a good description:

Historically, in the early years of the suit as everyday menswear, it appears there were no formal buttoning rules. Look to trade magazines and illustrations from the earlier part of the 20^th century, and one sees jackets with between one and five buttons, each buttoned in a manner that suited the personality of the wearer or the cut of the garment.

But much of this changed with a king who was too fat to button his jacket. Or at least, that’s what legend says.

According to the lore of menswear, in the early 1900s King Edward VII started the trend of leaving the bottom button of a suit undone.

Apparently, he grew so rotund that he was unable to fasten the bottom button of his waistcoat and jacket. To not offend the king, those associated with him started doing the same. The custom then gradually spread the world round (as England was still largely an imperial power with great influence across the globe).

For today's purposes, the most important reason to follow these rules is that nearly all modern men's jackets are designed with the intent that the bottom button will remain unbuttoned. Thus, buttoning the bottom button will likely negatively affect the lines and drape of the jacket and may cause unsightly bunching.

Building your wardrobe: the essential pants.

We started this series with shirt advice, so now let's move down to the pants. We'll assume you already have serviceable chinos/khakis in your wardrobe. Those are great for everyday casual or dressed-down office wear, but it's time to add another basic that can be dressed-up more than chinos: gray wool trousers.

A Brooks Brothers offering.

Like chinos, gray wool slacks are highly versatile. While there are many situations where chinos or gray wool slacks could be worn equally well, chinos also occupy the more casual end of the spectrum (t-shirts) while gray wool serves the more formal end (coat and tie). Thus, with these two types of pants in your closet you will have every situation short of "suit required" covered.

Now, there are some US climates where one medium-weight pair of gray wool slacks will suffice. The Midwest is not one of those places. Our extremes of heat and cold mean that you will actually want to obtain two pairs of gray wool slacks: a lighter summer-weight pair (look for "tropical weight" wool) and a heavier winter-weight pair (flannel is good here). Color-wise, we would recommend a deeper charcoal shade of gray for the winter pair and a lighter shade for the summer pair.

While we're on the topic of pants, here are a few pointers to keep in mind when shopping for them. Plain-front trousers are the standard these days. If you really want to go with pleats, try to stick with a single pleat and as trim a look as you can find. Pleated slacks should be worn higher than plain-front pants: this is how pleated slacks are designed and will help keep the pleats from puffing out. The general rule of thumb is cuffs with pleats and plain hems with plain front trousers, although the weight of cuffs can help maintain a good line on any pair of pants. When you're having your slacks cuffed or hemmed, you'll need to tell the tailor how much break you want, which determines how much of your shoe is covered by the slacks and how much extra fabric bunches at the bottom. You'll probably want to ask for a slight (quarter) or medium (half) break.   No break is a popular look in some quarters these days, but will definitely attract attention in the Midwest. Whatever you do, avoid the full break, which can look sloppy. (Remember this when selecting the length of pre-finished pants, as well.)

American Men's Style

On this Fourth of July, why not check out Esquire's 12 Styles of American Man, a tongue-in-cheek survey of 12 common American men's style categories? It may give you some ideas as you declare independence from a t-shirt-and-polo-heavy wardrobe and work on finding your own style.