altering a 3 button suit

Weird question, but is it possible for a taylor to alter a 3 button suit into a 2 button suit?

Originally Posted by johnny1982

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Weird question, but is it possible for a taylor to alter a 3 button suit into a 2 button suit?

with ironing you can attempt to introduce a roll to the 2nd button. I've tried it, and so have two suit makers - we've concluded its a wasted effort.

Originally Posted by johnny1982

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Weird question, but is it possible for a taylor to alter a 3 button suit into a 2 button suit?

What an interesting question. A few years back it was all the rage to have three buttons, and people were asking to convert a two button to three. Now it's the reverse.

It just goes to show that if you wait long enough, the particular article of clothing will become "fashionable" again; all except the 70's monstrosities.

Possible? Yes.
Probable? no.
Effective? not likey
Worth it? only you would know.

I depends on how much fabirc there is to play with, skill of the tailor and several other factors.

There is nothing wrong with three buttons jackets, center vents, no vents, pleats or cuffs all can and do work well in the correct application.

Hmm, is changing the roll really that hard? I feel like I've seen a lot of people pulling it off rather well...

Some jackets I prefer them to close higher, so I will either alter the roll or even convert from a 2 button to a 3. I've never tried it the other way around. I've been told a buttonhole can be closed effectively.

Wanted to bring this topic up again because i came across a suit the the other day that is from Banana Republic. It is advertised as a two button suit, but if you look closely in the photo above the top button, it is actually a 3 button that was "converted"
LINK to site

They sell it as: Tailored grey tweed two-button suit blazer

Saw it in the store as well and it is interesting what they have done. Creates a interesting little tweak to the suit.
Also in the image they show the button hole as being stitched in grey to match the suit. But in reality it is a darker grey/black that makes it stand out much more than it does in the photo.

The whole thing makes me think it was a massive manufacturing mistake. Made a whole bunch of two button suites, but put a third button in, and then, oops.

Rayford Booth said:

Wanted to bring this topic up again because i came across a suit the the other day that is from Banana Republic. It is advertised as a two button suit, but if you look closely in the photo above the top button, it is actually a 3 button that was "converted"
LINK to site
They sell it as: Tailored grey tweed two-button suit blazer
Saw it in the store as well and it is interesting what they have done. Creates a interesting little tweak to the suit.
Also in the image they show the button hole as being stitched in grey to match the suit. But in reality it is a darker grey/black that makes it stand out much more than it does in the photo.
The whole thing makes me think it was a massive manufacturing mistake. Made a whole bunch of two button suites, but put a third button in, and then, oops.

Click to expand...

It's a 3 roll to 2. The top is a nonfunctioning button and buttonhole



Rayford Booth said:

Wanted to bring this topic up again because i came across a suit the the other day that is from Banana Republic. It is advertised as a two button suit, but if you look closely in the photo above the top button, it is actually a 3 button that was "converted"
LINK to site
They sell it as: Tailored grey tweed two-button suit blazer
Saw it in the store as well and it is interesting what they have done. Creates a interesting little tweak to the suit.
Also in the image they show the button hole as being stitched in grey to match the suit. But in reality it is a darker grey/black that makes it stand out much more than it does in the photo.
The whole thing makes me think it was a massive manufacturing mistake. Made a whole bunch of two button suites, but put a third button in, and then, oops.

Click to expand...

This is called a 3-roll-2 or 3-roll-2.5 when it doesn't roll all the way to the second button. Not a mistake, it's very common. I've got several suits and jackets like this.

Meant for a fashion purpose? thinking the top hidden button is not meant to be done up. So whats the background on this?



Rayford Booth said:

Meant for a fashion purpose? thinking the top hidden button is not meant to be done up. So whats the background on this?

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Correct, the top button is not meant to be buttoned. If you try to, the coat pulls and looks really weird. Basically, you treat it like a 2 button and only ever button the middle button.

Not sure about the history of it, but you see it a lot on classic sack suits and many Italian suits, as polar opposite as those can be.

The lapels of a nice 3-button suit is shaped in a way that makes it look elegant. Check out Liverano & Liverano's work for understanding.



johnny1982 said:

Weird question, but is it possible for a taylor to alter a 3 button suit into a 2 button suit?

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No, silly question. Quite apart form the cut of the lapels, what do you plan to do with the discarded button hole?

If he's asking for the button to be removed, that would be silly. Only because it makes much more sense to just try to roll the lapel to a two-button stance. The unused button-hole should be hidden under the roll...