Men's jackets, what a passion! If you are an elegant type and you love to dress in a classic but not heavy way, also winking at the latest fashion trends for some details, then tailored jackets are for you. Tailored garments can in fact be literally "sewn on", not only physically but also according to your style and personality. But how should you button a men's jacket? Should it be left open, closed, closed only halfway? Let's see what etiquette says about it.
Rule number 1: Look at how many buttons your jacket has
The question “how to button men’s jackets” cannot be answered in a clear and unequivocal way. Yes, because it all depends on how many buttons your men’s jacket has. In tailored jackets we have two fundamental types to take into account: single-breasted jacket, double-breasted jacket. In the first case the sewn buttons can go from 1 to 4. In the second you can get up to six buttons, between the inside and outside of the jacket. To understand which buttons to button we look at the number. If the jacket is single-breasted with one button it must always be kept closed when standing , and it can be unbuttoned when sitting. When sitting you can also unbutton men’s jackets with two buttons, but when standing in this case you keep only the first one fastened. In single-breasted tailored jackets with three buttons instead, you can keep only the first button fastened or, alternatively, the first and the second. The third button must always be kept open. And in the case of double-breasted jackets? Here you have to take into account the occasion, which normally, in the case of this type of men's jacket, is formal or a ceremony. Etiquette therefore recommends keeping the central buttons, external and internal, fastened and leaving the others unbuttoned. When seated, you can also decide to unbutton the jacket.
What if it's a vest?
In addition to single-breasted and double-breasted jackets, men's jackets (tailored or not) can also come in the form of a vest, also with buttons. In this case, etiquette dictates that they should all be buttoned, except for the last one at the bottom . The vest, of course, should be paired with a jacket: the rules we mentioned earlier should also be followed for the jacket.
A few more rules: coat and tie in addition to the jacket
With a men's jacket, formal and elegant garments are often worn. Leaving aside the case of casual outfits (for which etiquette tips can also be omitted), if a coat and tie are worn over men's jackets, a few additional rules must be followed. The coat, for example, as we have seen for the vest, follows the same buttoning lines as the jacket , while the tie must always be added to the more formal cuts of tailored jackets. Finally, a breach permitted by etiquette has to do with working in a studio: in this case, the jacket can be unbuttoned entirely or even removed, for greater comfort.
