Suit Jackets

When talking about a suit jacket, we tend to ask whether it is single or double breasted. But what is a double breasted suit? A double breasted suit possesses wide, overlapping flaps and two sets of buttons down the front. Mostly, one set of buttons is used for fastening the jacket, while the other set is ornamental. Some jackets use the double buttons as a reversible function, so that the wearer can choose to fasten the jacket either right over left or left over right.

The double breasted suit really saw its heyday in the years 1930-1950. If you watch some of the films made in that era, with class actors such as Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant, you will notice how many of the characters are wearing double breasted suits. Yet if you then go on to watch movies made after that time, you will notice that the actors start to dress less formally, matching the fashions of that time. By the time you get to the 1960s, you will see that the suits become single breasted and less formal. If you move on even further, you will see that suits are hardly worn at all.

The double breasted suit did make a comeback in the 1980s, when corporate and office fashion became somewhat more formal again. However, this look also became less popular, and single breasted suits have since become more in style. The double breasted suit is still associated with formality and with the older generation. For this reason, it is not always so easy to find a well-fitted double breasted jacket in the stores today.

One of the most important things to remember when wearing a double breasted suit is that to look good you need to wear it with the most appropriate accessories. You can wear either a necktie or a bowtie with a double breasted suit. But unlike a single breasted jacket, you should never wear it without either because a double breasted suit looks more formal and would look ridiculous with an open-necked shirt.

One of the great advantages of a double breasted suit is that the build of the wearer is really irrelevant. If properly tailored, it can make the broad man look thinner and add weight or stature to a smaller person. The trick is all in the cut and having the jacket tailored to the waist. Although some double breasted jackets have four buttons, the classier varieties have six. It really depends on your personal preference and what’s “in” at the moment.

A double breasted suit definitely does not have to mean “old-fashioned,” “stuffy,” or “formal.” So if you decide to buy one, wear it properly, wear it with class, and if you wear it with the right shirt and tie, you can look every inch the gentleman. To add to this image, you should preferably wear it with a French-cuffed shirt and a pocket square. And then I’m sure that Humphrey Bogart would be proud of you. As he would say, “Here’s looking at you, kid!”