SUIT GUIDE
Can You Wear Your Double Breasted Suit Unbuttoned?
Can you wear your Double Breasted Suit unbuttoned?
Gentlemen,
I believe this is a question that has come up a few times in our mind, even if you haven’t been bold enough to ask.
For those of you who choose to ignore if it’s right or wrong to wear the Double Breasted suit jacket unbuttoned, instead choose to wear theirs unbuttoned as a matter of their personal preference, I have this to say to you:
When it comes to styling your outfit, you’ve got to do it consciously and in the right way. And if you are unsure of what is right, it’s best to learn. With the knowledge gained, you develop more confidence when rocking your style, knowing full well that you can defend it with intelligent reasons no matter what.
So today, I hope to address this question of “Can you wear a double-breasted suit unbuttoned?”. But first I have to tell you a Fact… The Double-Breasted (DB) suit is a statement suit that will make you look good and get you noticed, making it an ideal suit for first impressions.
They are statement pieces that speak volumes, you should wear them on days where you want to make a bold statement with your suit. If you are new to DB Suits, then I suggest you first Learn How To Wear A Double Breasted Suit before reading the rest of this article.
Now moving on…
CAN YOU WEAR YOUR DOUBLE BREASTED SUIT JACKET UNBUTTONED?
Tip 1: Button up your DB jacket over a dress shirt and tie and you’ll instantly look suave.
Tip 2: Unbutton the DB jacket and that’s an attempt to dress it down, but you must proceed with caution when dressing down a DB jacket.
This is because in most situations the DB Suit is a semi-formal menswear piece and you cannot dress down the formality to casual wear without altering the suit look. Refer to our Dress Code Hierarchy formula on Dressing Up and Dressing Down to learn more.
Traditionally, due to the double-breasted jacket’s construction, it is usually not recommended to wear a double-breasted suit unbuttoned regardless of how you choose to style it (with or without a tie).
The second you open up a standard double-breasted jacket, the appearance starts to fall apart.
This is because large amounts of overlapping fabric on a double-breasted jacket tend to gather at the sides when unbuttoned and this doesn’t look dapper.
However, in this modern age (especially more recently), people can choose to alter the formality of the classic DB suit by dressing down. By changing its formality from semi-formal to either a Business casual or smart casual wear.
It’s an example of how the old rules of menswear are being altered for the sake of conformity in modern society. But no matter how much you want to dress down a DB Suit, it will never be as casual as a casual jacket such as a Bomber or Leather jacket. So give it some respect and do it consciously and in the right way!
This means that when you are wearing the DB Suit paired with a Dress Shirt and a Tie it’s best to stay buttoned up. ALWAYS!
When you choose to dress down a DB suit or to wear the DB Suit Jacket unbuttoned, it’s best to commit to a casual look and its rules. Let’s talk about the rules.
RULES OF WEARING A DOUBLE BREASTED SUIT JACKET UNBUTTONED
As I’ve mentioned above, the DB Suit Jacket is not designed to be worn unbuttoned, it will look off if you do. However, if you choose to dress it down for a casual feel, you have to follow these rules:
- First, only style it with specifically modified tailoring of a casual Double Breasted Open-Front Suit Jacket.
This open-front DB suit jacket has its fit altered. This is to support leaving the suit jacket unbuttoned without having extra fabric hanging. It also has No fastener i.e. no internal anchor button for fastening.
- If you intend to wear this style as Sprezzatura, then you don’t need anything more formal underneath the jacket.
Appropriate options include a sweater or a shirt that has the ability to add a casual lean to an otherwise formal outfit such as an Oxford shirt or Turtleneck sweater.
- If you have a tight double-breasted jacket, then layering it with a shirt or turtleneck sweater is going to make it, even, tighter. Instead, use your tight DB jacket to style it casually with the buttons unbuttoned.
Do not use a loose or well fitted DB jacket else it’s going to look ill-fitted and totally out of place. See the picture below.
- You should avoid wearing a formal dress shoe.
Your footwear should be a tassel loafer, dress loafers, Monk Strap or Sneakers (depending on the styling and the occasion). It looks a lot better and stylish.
- You can wear the DB suit as Spezzato i.e. separates (the contrast between top and bottom). While at it, you can layer the jacket with a casual dress shirt and leave the first two buttons unbuttoned for that extra touch of casually sophisticated style or simply inject a well-needed dose of Italian “Sprezzatura” into the look to stand out as a stylish gentleman.
- Last but not least … Do not wear it unbuttoned with a Striped Double Breasted Jacket or a Double-breasted tuxedo jacket. This is because they are high-level formal suit jackets and should never be downgraded for a casual feel.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I hope this clarifies the question. In summary, when wearing a dress shirt and tie, always keep it buttoned. When you dress down the DB suit look, ensure you follow the appropriate rules covered above; especially if you ever choose to leave the jacket unbuttoned.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, continue to do well, live well and dress really well. Stay Classy.
Would you ever dress down your double-breasted jacket? Let us know in the comments below!
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