The Finished Suit Jacket

After introducing the basics of the suit jacket, the next logical step is to discuss important details of the suit jacket in its finished form. Taking notes from the basics of the jacket, it is time to delve deeper into creating something ordinary such as a suit jacket and make it into an integral part of your clothing.

Sleeve Buttons on Suit Jacket

It's very clear when you look at men's coats from the 17th and 18th centuries that the sleeve buttons were functional. Both civilian coats and military coats (still basically based on civilian fashions) had cuffs which could be folded down to provide warmth and weather protection or folded up to free the hands, just as lapels, tails, and collars could be folded over/up or back/down for the same purpose. All of these various flaps had buttons placed to keep them in the selected position. By the 19th century, these were mostly gone from civilian fashion, but were retained as non-functional decorative elements on military uniforms.

The sleeve buttons stayed on cuffless men's civilian coats first to make it easier to put on coats with tight-fitting sleeves (late 17th century), then later simply as a fashionable decoration.

Today the sleeve buttons are considered as a mark of a quality tailor made suit and a necessary detail to finish the suit jacket. The standard number of buttons on the sleeves is 3 or 4. While the number of buttons may vary, matching it with the buttons at the waist is imperative. The buttons should be placed within the hem at approximately ½ inch. For functional buttons, keeping one button unfastened is all a matter of personal style to allow the feature to be noticed.

Jacket Pockets

Now it’s time to look into the jacket pockets which can be customized depending on the degree of formality. There are several types of jacket pockets including the jetted pocket, flap pocket, hacking pockets, patch pockets, ticket pocket, breast pocket, inside pockets.

The jetted piped pockets are considered as the most formal of the types. The jetted piped pocket is sewn in the jacket’s lining with just a narrow opening placed horizontally at the jacket’s side. Its design gives the jacket a more sleek appearance, which makes it more appropriate as formal wear. Meanwhile, the flap piped pocket is considered the most popular type of pocket for men’s suits. Flap piped pockets look similar to the jetted type, while the jetted is just a narrow opening, the flap type of pockets have flaps sewn on the pockets. These 2 types are the most common types of pockets for men’s suit jackets that are designed so that the wearer can easily tuck or hide the flaps inside the pockets. Though not as common as the previous 2 types, the hacking pockets are flap types cut diagonally and sewn on the pockets. The hacking pocket is most associated with riding gears from the British. Another type is the patch pockets which are the least formal of the types. It is characterized as a pocket with an additional patch on the jacket’s exterior. Patch pockets are often seen on sports jackets and summer suits. The pockets are not only for show but are also functional addition to the suit jacket which the wearer can use to put items in - small items to be exact. Placing a lot of items in the pockets can make your suit bulge which in turn makes it look bulky and unflattering on you. Avoid putting sharp or ragged-edged objects in it as it might damage the interior of the jacket.

A ticket pocket is an optional type in men’s jackets and often placed above of the side pocket. This type is rarely used and nowadays, including this type of pocket is for added style and indicates the quality of the suit than its function. The suit jacket’s breast pocket should always remain open or intended only for putting the pocket square. Much like the side pockets, the breast pocket may look bulky if you put several items in it which may clearly deform the pocket and in turn feel uncomfortable on the wearer.

Meanwhile, the number of interior pockets may vary. It can either be just on one side or both sides of  the jackets, depending on the wearer. The pockets should be big enough that the wearer can place a thin or small wallet, remember that adding too many items in your pockets can easily deform the jacket’s structure. The good thing about customization is that pocket types can always vary depending on the wearer as a skilled tailor can make personalized pockets according to the wearer’s specifications, including a chance to pocket your prized possessions such as the mobile phone among other things.

Suit Vents

Another important detail of the suit jacket is the vent. The suit vent is a narrow slit at the bottom of the suit jacket which allows for ease of movement and to easily reach out to the trouser pockets. There are 3 styles in men’s jackets: the side, center, and none.

Suit jackets that are ventless (traditional Italian look) are named as such because they simply have no vents this gives a sleek boxy silhouette to the back of the suit jacket. Despite the lack of vent, the suit is still susceptible to creasing especially when the wearer sits down.

Meanwhile, contemporary suit jackets have single vent at the center of the jacket’s back to allow for a bit of comfort when the wearer is sitting, inadvertently exposing the wearer’s backside. However the main disadvantage is that if the wearer puts on a small amount of weight, the single center vent tends to open up, and expose the wearer to unwanted attention of the weight gain.

At the moment, the most popular vent style on men’s suit jackets are vents on both sides of the jacket (side vents). The good thing about side vents is that wrinkling of the jacket may be eliminated because the vents help the wearer to easily sit down, and if the wearer gains weight, the spread is split between 2 vents rather than the single vent, helping the wearing keep any weight fluctuation less noticeable.

Button Hole of the Lapels

Most suit jackets have a button hole on the lapel, particularly the left one about 1 inch beneath the gorge. In well-fitted and quality bespoke jackets, the buttonhole will usually be left opened or for some very high quality suit, a loop of fabric is available underneath the lapel’s left side which is beneath the buttonhole. This helps the use of a boutonnière, which is a small flower traditionally placed on the lapel, something that is often done in special gatherings. The use of a boutonnière is a rather stylish way of dressing up the suit jacket for everyday fashion.



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