Working buttons - ostentatious or a sign of class?

[suenarita]

Thoughts on working buttons - do your suits have them? What makes for a good suit - in your estimation?

 

[YRR92]

The things that make for a good suit are much more substantial than working buttons.

As to the "big question," it depends. Err on the side of assuming they're ostentatious.

 

[suenarita]

Do you think a good canvas makes a good suit? Is it all about fabric for you?

 

[Academic2]

While there’s nothing special about them in and of themselves, there was a time when they were associated mostly with bespoke and handmade suits.

That time is now past. Lots of cheap suits (in both senses of “cheap”) now have them; it’s not that difficult these days to do by machine.

In my opinion it’s now just a matter of personal preference. Get them if you like how they look, don’t if you don’t. But they’re no longer an indication of quality.

Cheers,

Ac

 

[YRR92]

The idea of "a good suit" is too broad. It's like asking "what makes a good movie?" A thousand things go into it. If even one of them is bad enough, it ruins the whole affair.

 

[Academic2]

Start here:

http://www.styleforum.net/a/what-kind-of-suit-should-i-buy

Cheers,

Ac

 

[Makoto Chan]

If I'm not mistaken, working buttons used to be a sign of a custom suit, because their placement makes it impractical to adjust sleeve length. But recently, some makers of off-the-rack suits have been including them anyway. They might be a "sign" of a quality suit, but it's a broken sign that has nothing to do with the quality of a garment.

Some men like to show off their working buttons by including one or several unbuttoned. Mine are (almost) always unbuttoned, because I don't care to show off.