Good afternoon, all!
I have a whole host of questions on hand to ask, but I'll try to space them out a bit... first up is about double-breasted suits and coats.
Was it ever the case for both columns (left and right) of buttons to be functional? I would for some reason find it rather odd if the second column started out as non-functional, as this was (so far as I can tell) not the case with buttoned cuffs, for instance -- though, of course, the counter-argument is the existence of the customary two buttons above the functional [sets of] buttons, but if I understand correctly, these would have come about later, since double-breasted jackets seem to have had their origin in military attire, which tend not to have these extraneous buttons. I know it's a bit of a niche question, and apart from trying to dig up very early books on tailoring, I'm not sure where to look for an answer. Perhaps some of our menswear historians on the forum would know?
Thank you!
Sincerely,
M. Rex
I have a whole host of questions on hand to ask, but I'll try to space them out a bit... first up is about double-breasted suits and coats.
Was it ever the case for both columns (left and right) of buttons to be functional? I would for some reason find it rather odd if the second column started out as non-functional, as this was (so far as I can tell) not the case with buttoned cuffs, for instance -- though, of course, the counter-argument is the existence of the customary two buttons above the functional [sets of] buttons, but if I understand correctly, these would have come about later, since double-breasted jackets seem to have had their origin in military attire, which tend not to have these extraneous buttons. I know it's a bit of a niche question, and apart from trying to dig up very early books on tailoring, I'm not sure where to look for an answer. Perhaps some of our menswear historians on the forum would know?
Thank you!
Sincerely,
M. Rex
