How to Wear a Double-Breasted Suit: Buttoning, Proportions and Styling

Knowing how to wear a double-breasted suit comes down to three things: fasten it correctly, have it fit closely, and choose a shirt and tie that match the strength of the lapels. Get those right and a double-breasted suit is as easy to wear as any other. Get them wrong and it looks borrowed. Here is the tailor's version of each rule, with outfits for wearing it with a tie, without one and as a separate jacket.

How do you button a double-breasted suit?

Fasten the working button at your waist and the inside anchor button, sometimes called the jigger button, which holds the underneath panel in place. Which button counts as the working one depends on the configuration, written as two numbers: the total number of front buttons, then how many of them can fasten.

A double-breasted jacket is cut to close at one point, and fastening it anywhere else spoils the shape through the waist. That is why you shouldn't fasten the top decorative row on a 6x2 or try to button a 6x1 at the middle row. On a 6x2 or 4x2, the lowest working button is a matter of taste: many men leave it undone, as they would the bottom button of a single-breasted jacket, and some fasten both.

How should a double-breasted suit fit?

A double-breasted suit must fit closely. Because the front overlaps, any spare fabric across the chest or waist shows twice, and a loose double-breasted jacket looks boxy and heavy in a way a loose single-breasted jacket does not. It should feel trim when fastened, yet still let you sit and reach forward without strain.

For the general rules on shoulders, chest and length, see how a suit jacket should fit. Everything there applies to a double-breasted jacket, only more strictly.

Can you wear a double-breasted suit unbuttoned?

Only briefly. A double-breasted jacket is designed to be fastened, and when it is open the two wide front panels hang loose and flap as you move. Opening it to sit through a long dinner or to cool down for a moment is fine; wearing it open as a habit is not. If you want a jacket you can wear open, choose a single-breasted one; our guide to single vs double-breasted suits compares the two.

Can you wear a double-breasted suit without a tie?

Yes. A double-breasted suit looks good with an open collar, as long as the shirt collar holds its shape and stands up under the lapels rather than collapsing beneath them. A soft, floppy collar disappears under wide peak lapels and leaves the neckline looking unfinished.

• Choose a spread or semi-spread collar with a good interlining, or a shirt with a one-piece collar that rolls naturally.
• Undo one button at the neck, two at most.
• Keep the shirt plain or quietly patterned: white, light blue, pale pink or ecru.
• In cold weather, a fine-gauge knitted roll-neck in navy, charcoal or cream works well under a fastened double-breasted jacket.
• In warm weather, a knitted polo shirt with a structured collar is a relaxed alternative.

What shirt goes with a double-breasted suit?

A shirt with a spread or semi-spread collar goes best with a double-breasted suit. The wider collar balances the broad peak lapels and gives a tie knot of medium size room to sit. Narrow point collars can look pinched under strong lapels, and button-down collars are too casual for most double-breasted suits, though they can work with a soft double-breasted jacket in linen or cotton. Our guide to shirt collars explains each style.

For color, white and light blue are always right. Pale pink, fine stripes and small checks work under navy and gray. Keep the shirt simpler than the suit if the suit has a stripe.

Which tie and pocket square should you wear?

Wear a tie whose width matches the lapels: on a classic double-breasted jacket that usually means a tie of about 3 to 3½ inches (7.5 to 9 cm) at its widest. A skinny tie looks lost between wide peak lapels. A four-in-hand or half Windsor knot sits well in a spread collar; a very large knot competes with the lapels. Silk grenadine, printed silk and wool ties all suit the style. Our guide to tie width explains how to match the two.

A pocket square suits a double-breasted jacket, which has a strong, formal front. A white linen square in a straight fold is the most formal; a silk square in a soft puff is more relaxed. Keep it from matching the tie exactly.

Three ways to wear a double-breasted suit

Classic, with a tie

A navy or charcoal 6x2 with a white or light blue spread-collar shirt, a dark tie and black or dark brown oxfords is the double-breasted suit at its most useful. It works for business, weddings and evening events, and it needs no further thought.

Open collar

Drop the tie, keep the jacket fastened and let a well-made collar sit up under the lapels. Brown suede shoes or loafers relax the look further. This is the version for dinners, drinks and offices without a tie code.

As a separate jacket

A double-breasted suit jacket generally does not work as a separate. Its smooth, matching fabric looks like half a suit next to odd trousers, and a jacket worn on its own fades and wears faster than its trousers, so the suit stops matching. The exception is a double-breasted jacket made as a separate: a navy blazer in hopsack, serge or flannel, often with metal buttons, is a classic worn with gray trousers or chinos. Our guide to suit jackets, blazers and sport coats explains the difference.

Do double-breasted suits make you look bigger?

They can make you look a little broader, because the wide overlap and the horizontal rows of buttons add width across the front. For a slim man that can be an advantage. For a heavier man, a close fit, buttons set fairly close together and moderate lapels keep the effect in check, and a fastened double-breasted jacket gives a smooth, unbroken front that many larger men find flattering. The jacket that makes anyone look bigger is the one that fits loosely.

What shoes go with a double-breasted suit?

The same shoes as any suit of the same formality. Black oxfords are the most formal choice with navy and charcoal; dark brown oxfords or derbies work for business and daytime; brown suede shoes and loafers suit the open-collar and separate-jacket looks. Our guide to shoes with a suit covers each style.

What to tell your tailor

If you are having a double-breasted suit made, the decisions that matter most are made on the pattern, before the first fitting. Tell the tailor:

• The configuration: 6x2 if you want the classic, 6x1 or 4x1 for a longer lapel roll.
• Where it should fasten: at your natural waist, so the lapels form a long V.
• How you will wear it: closed, and whether you want to sit comfortably while it is fastened.
• Lapel width: in proportion to your shoulders; ask to see it drawn on the pattern or chalked on at the first fitting.
• Button spacing: fairly close for a shorter or heavier man, a little wider for a tall, slim one.
• Vents: double vents or none are traditional on a double-breasted jacket.

For most men a double-breasted suit is a second or third suit rather than a first. If you want one cut properly from the start, our ranking of the best tailors in London is a good place to begin, and our guide to how to button a suit jacket covers every other style you own.

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