Buttoning one's jacket - the whys & the wherefores?

Belfaborac · Jun 13, 2011

First post - yay, hoorah, yikes, booh, etc.

So anyway - I've always wondered where the strange, but common convention of only doing up one button on a suit jacket/sport coat/blazer comes from. Does anyone know for sure (assumptions I can manufacture easily enough myself)?

It has always seemed like a particularly pointless convention to me and one which I make a point of disregarding, but I'm curious as to its inception.

GBR · Jun 13, 2011

A well covered subject - suggest use the 'search' function rather than another new post repeating the ground.

Convention often has no definable origin and appearance is as relevant: There is little worse than seeing a coat fully buttoned.

Belfaborac · Jun 13, 2011

Ah yes, the obligatory "use the search function, n00b!" introductory reply. Most original.

As for "there is little worse than seeing a coat fully buttoned", that is obviously a study in pure subjectivity and as such relevant (and of any interest) only to the holder of that particular opinion. Not to mention that it is entirely dependent on the shape of the wearer of said jacket and the tailoring, or lack of such, of the garment.

I'm aware that there may be no definable origin to be found here, but then again there might be, which is why I asked.

tennisguru · Jun 13, 2011

I seem to remember hearing Edward Sexton say that the convention for leaving the bottom button undone of a coat came from the trousers being properly fitted, high waisted and being worn with braces. Leaving the bottom button undone wouldn't reveal waistband or shirt material as the trousers fit well and is a sign of good tailoring. Badly tailored or fitted trousers would show some waistband or shirt if the bottom button was left open, so opening the bottom button was a sign of a well tailored suit - like a badge of honour maybe!

Of course that could all be horsesh*t!!!

Cheers

Mac · Jun 13, 2011

King Edward VII was too fat to button his bottom button so he left it open. All his followers then started doing it too.

Buttoning the bottom button is the height of incompetence.

patrickBOOTH · Jun 13, 2011

These are all theories as to how it came about. These days most jackets are cut in such a manner that if all of the buttons were done the jacket would scruntch and pull. They just are not meant to be all buttoned if fitted properly. Also, my tailor told me that if somebody has awkward proportions by having a second, or a third button balances the person's torso better as to not make him appear too long or too short torsoed. Makes sense to me.

Belfaborac · Jun 13, 2011

Originally Posted by tennisguru

I seem to remember hearing Edward Sexton say that the convention for leaving the bottom button undone of a coat came from the trousers being properly fitted, high waisted and being worn with braces. Leaving the bottom button undone wouldn't reveal waistband or shirt material as the trousers fit well and is a sign of good tailoring. Badly tailored or fitted trousers would show some waistband or shirt if the bottom button was left open, so opening the bottom button was a sign of a well tailored suit - like a badge of honour maybe!

Of course that could all be horsesh*t!!!

Cheers

Thanks a lot, that's the kind of thing I was looking for. Sounds very plausible too, I must say.

Originally Posted by Mac

King Edward VII was too fat to button his bottom button so he left it open. All his followers then started doing it too.

Buttoning the bottom button is the height of incompetence.

That particular explanation deals with waistcoats, not jackets, and it appears to be one that "everyone" agrees on. However, rather than betraying sartorial incompetence, I feel it betrays an unthinking adherence to pointless convention. After all, the cause of the convention was the unwillingness of a bunch of sycophants to risk the ire of their morbidly obese monarch. Hardly an example to aspire to.

Mac · Jun 13, 2011

You can argue about it all day, but the people who wear suits and understand the most basic of "rules", know not to button the bottom button.

And for the record, I would guess that more people agree to leaving the bottom button of a jacket open, rather than that of a waistcoat. However, I would leave both undone.

razl · Jun 13, 2011

Originally Posted by Belfaborac

First post - yay, hoorah, yikes, booh, etc.
Welcome to the fray!

Originally Posted by Belfaborac

It has always seemed like a particularly pointless convention to me and one which I make a point of disregarding, but I'm curious as to its inception.
You got it backwards: be curious first, seek out the reason/rationale, then disregard if you feel like it. In short, lurk moar to make informed decisions

Belfaborac · Jun 13, 2011

I wouldn't dream of arguing anything on the internet; doing so tends to be a particularly fruitless pursuit. I'm simply stating opinion, amongst which are that I dislike rules which exist only for show and have little regard for those who unthinkingly regard such as holy writ.

Belfaborac · Jun 13, 2011

Originally Posted by razl

Welcome to the fray!

You got it backwards: be curious first, seek out the reason/rationale, then disregard if you feel like it. In short, lurk moar to make informed decisions

In general that's excellent advice. However, only fanatics are 100% consistent, so one should make sure to be backwards at least once in a while.

Thank you kindly for the welcome!

Quadcammer · Jun 13, 2011

was the point of this thread just to state that you defy convention by buttoning the bottom button.

You don't actually seem interested in how it came about.

Belfaborac · Jun 13, 2011

That's likely because only one person has offered an explanation so far, for which I expressed my gratitude. If you have an alternative version I'd be equally grateful for that.

Chris Waffles · Jun 13, 2011

Originally Posted by Belfaborac

Thanks a lot, that's the kind of thing I was looking for. Sounds very plausible too, I must say.

That particular explanation deals with waistcoats, not jackets, and it appears to be one that "everyone" agrees on. However, rather than betraying sartorial incompetence, I feel it betrays an unthinking adherence to pointless convention. After all, the cause of the convention was the unwillingness of a bunch of sycophants to risk the ire of their morbidly obese monarch. Hardly an example to aspire to.

If you "dislike rules that exist just for show," then how is the trouser tailoring explanation any better than the waistcoat explanation? It seems to me their respective origins are moot, as both rules exist "just for show" in contemporary style.

Belfaborac · Jun 13, 2011

I believe I said I found it plausible, not better than anything else. As for their "mootness" - I just like to know things, moot/useless or not.

Buttoning one's jacket - the whys & the wherefores?

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