Mar 02, 2020

A Simple Guide to Suit Button Rules for Men

While buttons may seem quite simple, when it comes to men’s fashion, they can be quite complicated. They’re difficult to cinch up when you’re doing your own cuffs. It’s difficult to know how many you should actually button. Plus, do you unbutton when you stand? When you sit? Just how do you manage all of those buttons? Fortunately, we’ve made a simple guide to suit men’s suit button rules so you never have this dilemma again.

Keep the Bottom Button Unfastened

Whether you’re wearing a two-button jacket or a three-button jacket—these days, two buttons are far more common—you’ll want to keep the bottom button unfastened. This allows the bottom of the jacket to spread easily across the waist. Cinching the top button also helps you create the tapered look of a thinner waist.

Keep in mind that today’s suits are, in fact, tailored specifically for you to keep the bottom button unfastened.

Unfastening the bottom button also has the side benefit of showing off your choice in the belt. However, that isn’t to say that your belt buckle needs to show off a sense of flair. It’s simply a good way to show that you’ve matched your belt and your shoes for a “put-together” look.

Unbutton Before Sitting, Fasten Upon Rising

When you sit, the button’s effects on your overall silhouette will go away. It’s far easier to let the suit jacket to spread naturally when you sit. That’s why it’s a good idea to unfasten the button as you sit, and only re-fasten when you rise.

This isn’t always necessary when you have to stand up and sit down again, as you might during a wedding ceremony. But it’s something to be mindful of if you’re going to spend a significant amount of time either standing or seated throughout a formal event. But, keep in mind that buttoning your suit while standing is the side you should err on—if you’re going to stand up quickly again, it may not be necessary to unfasten this button.

What if you have a three-button suit? Consider the top button “optional” for fastening, which allows you to easily fasten or unfasten the middle button for sitting and rising.

Match Button Colors

In most cases, your suit jacket’s buttons will be made with colors like black or brown to ensure that you always have versatile options for matching. It’s possible to wear jackets with unusual colors—like red—but make sure that these don’t clash with the overall look of your suit. You may also choose to pair these with bold choices in your pants, such as when you’re choosing Charleston Khakis in Charleston Brick.

Shop Styles from Berle

We hope that this simple guide to suit button rules for men assists you. As one final tip, make sure that your buttons are on a suit worth showing off. That’s where we come in. Continue browsing the collections at Berle for great pant options to go with your new (and always properly-buttoned) sense of style.