• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Three-Piece Suits, Button Suit Coat or Not?

OnTheMark

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
22
Reaction score
0
Tonight on the NYC ABC affiliate, the weather guy Lee Goldberg (who usually dresses pretty well) was in one of his three-piece suits. The suit coat as 3-button SB and he kept the top two buttons fastened while he was seated and while he stood up to do the weather. What is the ettiquite/ logic on this issue...I always keep my suit coat unbuttoned when I am wearing my three-piece, isn't showing off the vest the idea? Or am I doing the wrong thing?
 

zjpj83

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2004
Messages
9,425
Reaction score
28
either is acceptable, in my opinion.

I happened to be looking through photos of Henry Stimson recently and was checking out all their diffents suits back then: DB jacket with DB vest underneath - so, obviously buttoned; and I also remarked on a gentleman who had his SB jacket buttoned.

My personal preference is to leave open, but I think it would depend on the situation / event
 

MilanoStyle

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2004
Messages
1,620
Reaction score
5
to me, as long as you do not touch very bottom button it's fine. In runways, lot of models do top button only.
 

Horace

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
1,437
Reaction score
1
Tonight on the NYC ABC affiliate, the weather guy Lee Goldberg (who usually dresses pretty well) was in one of his three-piece suits.  The suit coat as 3-button SB and he kept the top two buttons fastened while he was seated and while he stood up to do the weather.  What is the ettiquite/ logic on this issue...I always keep my suit coat unbuttoned when I am wearing my three-piece, isn't showing off the vest the idea? Or am I doing the wrong thing?
The few bespoke 3 piece SB suits I've had done were all meant to have the jacket buttoned. I think it looks better that way. I was also always under the impression that one left one's jacket buttoned, even when sitting. I think one of the fashion guys like Flusser dedicated some print to this issue?
 

truthhurts

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2004
Messages
105
Reaction score
0
It never looks good to have your jacket undone when standing. It hangs wrong and flaps around the place.
 

Brian SD

Moderator
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
Messages
9,492
Reaction score
128
It never looks good to have your jacket undone when standing. It hangs wrong and flaps around the place.
Agreed. I would keep it buttoned to preserve the suillhouette that was originally intended with the suit, but I never button my coats when sitting, as the drape doesn't really drape.
 

Horace

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
1,437
Reaction score
1
(truthhurts @ 07 Nov. 2004, 10:19) It never looks good to have your jacket undone when standing. It hangs wrong and flaps around the place.
Agreed. I would keep it buttoned to preserve the suillhouette that was originally intended with the suit, but I never button my coats when sitting, as the drape doesn't really drape.
Does it ever really drape when sitting? Still, I was always under the impression, a mistaken one no doubt, that a well-cut suit would always wear (almost) as perfectly sitting as standing. To drift off the topic, Darren mentioned that he's made jackets for those who sit in front of cameras all day. But he didn't mention if there were special tailoring procedures or if a different cut and whatnot was to be done for a "sitting" jacket as it were.
 

truthhurts

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2004
Messages
105
Reaction score
0
I have one suit that I leave buttoned while seated. That thing is like it's sprayed on no matter what I do. I think it's due to the high arm holes and a lucky fit. Most other suits I unbutton when sitting down.
 

Manton

RINO
Joined
Apr 20, 2002
Messages
41,314
Reaction score
2,879
3-piece SB with the coat left unbuttoned helps downplay bulk on a heavy guy. Not recommended for anyone else.
 

johnw86

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
459
Reaction score
0
The weathercaster usually has only a few seconds to get up from the desk and get to the front of the maps, and has to do this while speaking "on mic" (but off camera)--it could be quite difficult (for some) to have to do this while buttoning a jacket. So, if he wanted his jacket buttoned while standing, it was easier to leave it buttoned while sitting. Also, news anchors usually keep the jacket buttoned while at the desk so that the jacket presents a "finished" look. Not the kind of thing we do in real life, but then TV isn't real life.
cool.gif
 

johnw86

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
459
Reaction score
0
Some days, real life isn't even real life.
tounge.gif
 

Sean Pielli

New Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2013
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
i agree. the silhouette is definitely kept in shape by the buttoned coat, and especially looks good if the necklines of the jacket and vest harmonize. However, if the necklines don't balance well, or if , like in my case, you have a pocket watch that requires access, it's better to leave it open. (hint,hint - If the necklines don't balance and your not going for a period look, swap vests)
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,162
Messages
10,579,117
Members
223,885
Latest member
chalky
Top