Other than the occasional push of late by men’s fashion magazines on behalf of designers, I don’t really see them that often. One might argue that they’re really not “in fashion” as it were, but that would be inaccurate. I know a few guys who’ve worn them well for years, and I don’t see them going anywhere in our lifetime. A perfectly-tailored double-breasted on the right physique is never out of style, as far as I’m concerned.
Double-breasted jackets and suits originated from naval reefer jackets, commonly known as pea coats. They typically have a six-button configuration fastened with either one or two of those buttons. If the jacket is fastened with two buttons, it’s called a “six-on-two.” If the six-button jacket is only fastened with one button, it’s referred to as a “six-on-one.” To strengthen the fastening of the overlapped lapel onto the inner lapel, there is an interior button called a “jigger” that secures the lineup of the jacket lapels and buttons. There are also four-button configurations, with either two buttons or one bottom button fastening, which is called a “Kent” (after the Duke of Kent).
The lapels on a double-breasted are typically peaked. And the left lapel fastens over the right one.
From the 1980s through early-mid 1990s, the double-breasted enjoyed a resurgence of more mass popularity. As a child and avid television watcher of the ’80s, I vividly remember the game show hosts who wore them almost invariably. If memory serves, a company called Botany 500 supplied DBs for the likes of Pat Sajak, Alex Trebeck, Bob Barker, Burt Convy, Bob Eubanks, Wink Martindale (a name I always envied), et al.
Nowadays, I’d almost consider the DB a throwback, which isn’t a bad thing. Personally, they’re not for me. The busy button situation, with all the sitting down and standing up that I do, brings out the lazy man in me. But a well-tailored six or four button with a nice lapel can cut a striking, elegant figure on the right guy with the right level of confidence.
It’s not a suit I would suggest in a business arena or in law practice. A mainstay of the British aristocracy and a signature look for David Letterman, the DB has an “I have arrived” flare to it, which might come of as too slick or slippery in the board room or the courtroom (unless, of course, you are the chairman of the board). But at a party or on the red carpet? Let it rip.
As always, the double-breasted suit or jacket is best worn by a guy with a lean build. Heavier men are not flattered in them and visually “widened” even more by the horizontal lines drawn by the button and lapel structure, as opposed to the more streamlined vertical alignment of a single-breasted jacket.
While not for everyone (myself included), the double-breasted is here to stay with fluctuating mass appeal. In terms of successfully pulling it off, body shape and confidence are key. From the die hards who’ve incorporated them into their signature look to single-breasted men who have one or two well-tailored DBs in their collection, they can be stunningly elegant pieces in a well-dressed man’s arsenal.
2 Comments
Well said. I love them, both in blazer and suit.
You, in fact, are one of the “few guys who’ve worn them well for years” to whom I’m referring in the piece! Thank you, sir.