IV. Jackets

The jacket is the most important component of a suit. It has the most design elements, will set the tone for the rest of the ensemble, and you will want to spend the most time getting it right. No amusing anecdotes for this chapter, we have a lot to cover.

Forms

The basic form you choose will guide the rest of the jacket’s elements. Some designs don't work well on some kinds of jackets and your temperature control will depend on this fundamental choice. Each jacket can broadly be classified into one of the three following categories.

Single-Breasted. We're not ordering chicken for a bodybuilder, single-breasted means the two sides of the jacket don’t overlap. You have a single line of buttons down the middle that leaves a relatively large opening for the shirt to peek through once the suit is closed. That line of buttons can take one of three different forms: a single button for more formal occasions, two buttons is standard, and three buttons for an American style. Just remember not to button the bottom button if there’s more than one (more Windsor shenanigans). I always choose the two-button option over three. Three buttons don’t look great on shorter men, who benefit from the increased verticality of the two-button arrangement, and the overall look is anachronistic. The three button will also be just a hair warmer because of the extra closure.

Double-Breasted. If you imagine a manager or a newsman from the 1930s, you're probably picturing them wearing a double-breasted suit. This style has overlapping fabric on the front when the suit is closed. There are two lines of three buttons, one on each side, which is the only configuration. You only button the middle right button on the right-hand side to close the suit. The top buttons are purely decorative and the bottom one is never closed because reasons. A double-breasted suit will always be warmer than a single-breasted suit due to the extra fabric and tighter closure. You’re also limited in how you can wear it. While you can wear a single-breasted suit open or closed—and you are supposed to unbutton it fully when you sit down—a double breasted suit is intended to never be unbuttoned. If you try, the structure of the garment immediately decomposes and you will look like a complete shlub. I've seen this at the end of football games when some owner tries to look fancy in a double-breasted suit, unbuttons it, and does not look the part. A double-breasted suit is something you have to fully commit to and, combined with the extra heat, it is hard to recommend.

Sport Coats and Blazers. Not every independent jacket is a blazer. That term specifically refers to a dark blue jacket with brass buttons on it, very much a nautical-themed garment from the Northeast. Not all sport coats are blazers, but all blazers are sport coats. You have a greater choice with a sport coat because there’s fewer rules and it doesn’t have to match the pants. It can be a little more daring and garish with its overall design. Experimenting with sport coats can be a good option for expanding your wardrobe and testing out different styles. They’re also an easy option for transitioning to more formal meetings if you’re typically business casual—just throw on a sport coat before you walk it.

Structure

The structure of the jacket relates to how rigid its construction will be. At one end of the spectrum, you have the highly structured suits worn by 1980s business persons. Shoulder pads bulk-up the appearance to yield a pronounced, masculine appearance. Canvassing is the addition of a layer of horsehair to the front of the jacket that keeps it rigid and straight. The other extreme is completely unstructured, where nothing is added to create a predefined shape and results in a natural fitting jacket that matches your body shape. My preference is for unstructured jackets. The suit will be more comfortable, it'll be less hot, and you won't even know you're wearing it if you’re measured properly. The more masculine illusion from shoulder pads breaks down immediately when you're sitting due to the crease that forms between the pads and the sleeve. To me, a very structured suit does not project confidence.

Lining. You may have noticed that the fabric on the inside of the jacket is different than the fabric on the outside. This inner lining is typically made of a silkier material to help the jacket slide over your other clothes and fit smoothly. One of your decisions will be how much of this lining you want (except for the sleeves, which are always fully lined). My personal preference is to be between quarter to half lined, which means that most of the inner suit is fully exposed to the outer fabric. The main benefit is that you have that much less barrier to heat transfer, making the jacket cooler and more breathable. I wouldn't recommend going below a quarter lining, because you do need some slippery action to cleanly don and doff the jacket. The style of the lining is a fun part of personalization and picking it is one of my wife’s favorite parts of designing a suit. You can be creative here since you'll be the only one to notice it during normal wear. It’s one of those things that helps you differentiate your garment from everyone else's.

Notch Lapels. The different styles of lapels are determined by how the joinery looks below the collar. Notch here refers to the triangular cut in the lapel at that position where the lower part joins to the upper. This form is probably the most generic that you'll see and can be considered the default. A notch lapel blends into the background, is less showy, and implies a more relaxed appearance. You won't see a notch lapel on a very formal suit. My personal preference is to pair this style with lighter color fabrics.

Peak Lapels. This term derives from the bit of triangle poking out on each side of the lapel. The main effect is to add verticality and formality to the jacket. I always pair darker fabrics with peak lapels. That's not to say they can’t be paired with a lighter fabric; you can make quite a dashing figure if you choose to do so. I especially like them with a three-piece suit, because the extra fabric that hides part of your shirt tends to weigh you down, and the peak lapels help elevate you. You'd only use peak lapels on a double-breasted suit, and that style looks weird with a notch lapel.

Shawl Lapel. The shawl style is different than the other two because it offers a continuous line from top to bottom without any geometry getting in the way. It is not a look for a day-to-day suit. You'd only ever see it, and technically speaking it's only really appropriate, for more formal situation.

Lapel Pin. If you're in DC, you are bound to come across people wearing lapel pins. The stereotypical option is always an American flag, which comes-off as try hard and disingenuous. You might see variations where you have two flags together to show some kind of kinship affiliation or alliance by that particular person. Other lapel pins represent some organization or trade group, and you might see someone from an association wearing one as a badge to help identify them at networking events. Fun pins really aren't seen on a day-to-day basis.

Boutonnière. First of all, it’s pronounced bu-ton-e-air. It doesn’t rhyme with buccaneer. Give the French language some respect. This term refers to the things you put in the buttonhole sewn on the left lapel. You have two options: a real or a synthetic flower. Synthetic always looks bad and adds no value. Only use a real flower and, even then, you should only do so on special occasions. For the most part, that buttonhole won’t be used.

Facing. The final lapel detail is whether or not the facing is different than the rest of the suit. The facing is the part of the lapel facing outwards. The most common variant is a glossier material to provide contrast with the base fabric. You only see this on a formal jacket, never on a day-to-day ensemble.

Pockets

Your jacket will have multiple pockets. Some of them are meant to hold things, others aren’t. You’ll also need to understand what your different pocket options are, because they can change the look and formality of the jacket.

Welted. A welted pocket is a stealthy thing. It is a cut in the suit with a little border around it to prevent the thread from fraying, but it is otherwise flush with and indistinct from the surrounding fabric. The typical breast pocket is welted, and it is less likely to be seen elsewhere on your day-to-day jacket vice formalwear. Some welted pockets come with buttons, but the vast majority do not.

Flap. This is the type of pocket you're probably familiar with. Most jackets have flap pockets above the waist. The pocket itself is inside the jacket like welted, but the opening is covered by another piece of fabric (the flap). It can either be loose or held with a button.

Patch. Unlike the other two, a patch pocket is sewn onto the outside of the jacket, essentially giving you a little pouch. Such pockets are less formal, more commonly found on blazers and sport coats. You almost never see one fastened with a button.

Breast Pocket. Breast pockets are almost exclusively welted and found on the left side of the chest. The only ones with a flap are either military uniforms or more casual sporting jackets. The same is true for having breast pockets on the left and right sides of the jacket. These pockets are functional, but I wouldn’t put anything thicker than business cards in them.

Waist. The two pockets on the lower part of your jacket are supposed to be functional. You'll often see them sewn together during shipment, much like vents, but feel free to make them usable. Just be aware that bulky items can change the profile of the jacket if it’s very closely tailored, making you look lumpy. I don't really care for the look of welted and patch pockets in this position. You can further customize the look of waist pockets by changing their pitch or angle. Slanted pockets are more fashion forward and straight ones are more traditional. It’s a small change, and I default to the straight option.

Ticket Pocket. The two waist pockets are symmetrical, but you sometimes see a third smaller, pocket on the right side of the jacket. This detail is called a ticket pocket from back in the day when you would use it to keep your train tickets. It provides some asymmetry to the jacket, but I haven't found it to be a terribly useful. It's too small to hold anything of consequence. If you want to add it, fine, but don't feel obligated to do so.

Inner Pockets. A good jacket will have with several interior pockets. They are the ones designed for carrying things like your wallet and phone while maintaining a non-lumpy profile. It also makes it harder for people to pickpocket you if you have your important things on the inside of the jacket. If you can't feel someone's hand reaching in, you may have some kind of neuropathy you should have evaluated.

Shibboleths

The term shibboleth comes to us from the Old Testament. It was a word that made it easy to identify non-native speakers of the language, allowing sentries to confirm who was entering a military camp. In this context, shibboleths are used to identify others who are similarly interested in and have quality suits. They can be a good opening to networking. I once received an interesting invitation to attend a suiting party because of noted shibboleths.

Buttons. You'll be able to choose the buttons for your suit. They can help differentiate or expand the color scheme of the look. A cheaper suit will likely have solid plastic buttons that are a single color. More customized buttons add hints of other colors that pick up on subtle hues from the suit or match some of the other features. In general, use darker buttons with darker suits with darker buttons and vice versa; mixing tends to create a garish effect. Speaking of garish, a modern jacket shouldn't have gold-colored buttons unless you're in the Navy.

Surgeon’s Cuffs. You may have wondered why suits always have a string of buttons along the outside of the sleeve. For lower-end suits, they are vestigial appendages from when those buttons were functional. Surgeons were considered gentlemen who would always wear a suit who, to keep their sleeves from getting bloody while doing surgery, would unbutton and roll them up. You now only see working cuff buttons on high-end or custom suits because of the added labor and cost they require. I always recommend you always include this option. The way to communicate they function is to leave the first one unbuttoned, adding additional depth to handshakes between those who know and recognize the feature.

Contrast Buttonholes. Another way to make your surgeon’s cuffs stand out is to make the first buttonhole finished with a different thread color than the rest. I was bold on my black suit and made chose a high-contrast white. Doing so further helps demonstrate uncommon customization. The same kind of contrast can be applied to the buttonhole on the lapel. You do sometimes see these features on off the rack suits, so it's no guarantee absent other elements.

Collar. A more subtle customization option is changing the felt on the underside of the collar. You'll only see this if you flip it up, meaning you're most likely going to be the only one who notices it. The cost is included in the overall price of a custom suit, so you might as well do it for the added personalization. Just don't go around flipping people's collars looking for this special material like a dog sniffing butts.

Piping. Another subtle and rarely seen element is added piping throughout the inside of the suit. Piping is the addition of a small piece of fabric along seams in a contrasting color to cover up ragged edges. Unless you're taking off the jacket and showing it around, it's not going to be a very good indicator of customization. The exception would be if you have piping on the inside of the sleeve cuff that, if you're giving a handshake, may poke out from underneath your hand.

Monogram Label. The final design element showing customization and that you are a person of class and taste is the label sewn on the inside of the jacket. You can monogram this with your name or other defining characteristic that ties the jacket to you alone. Doing so is the surest sign that your suit is custom made, just don't go flashing it around or you'll come off like a pretentious dingus.