“Like every good man, I strive for perfection, and, like every ordinary man, I have found that perfection is out of reach – but not the perfect suit.”
– Edward Tivnan
With the fall season soon turning into winters, men are now gearing up to make a fashion statement with their warm attires. It’s a great time to pick up your blazers and fall in line. However, the ensuing debate of choosing between Single Breasted vs Double Breasted suits might leave you in a fix.
If you’re wondering which one to choose to gain a more sophisticated or suave look, then this is the right place for you.
The question that must be pestering you the most right now would probably be “What is the difference between single-breasted and double-breasted blazers?”
Read ahead to find out.
What is a Single-Breasted Suit?
A single-breasted blazer has both its sides overlap in a narrow closure with a single row of buttons on one side. These suits are best suited to you if you’re looking for a slim fit. They are flexible in terms of allowing much movement and also in terms of being paired with any kind of lowers like jeans, chinos or trousers.
What is a Double-Breasted Suit?
Double-breasted suits have a wider overlapping with more than one column of buttons, most of the buttons simply being embellishments. The double-breasted suit comes as a two-piece including both the double-breasted blazer and a pair of matching trousers. The whole attire has a much more formal look to it.
The difference between single and double-breasted suits is that the former can be worn by anyone, irrespective of their build. Although it all comes down to one’s personal choice in the end, nevertheless, double-breasted blazers are better suited to taller people.
The latter is also an extremely formal pick so you can’t separate the double-breasted blazer from its matching trouser, whereas the single-breasted blazer allows your imagination to flourish as it can be paired with anything.
History of Single-Breasted Suit and Double-Breasted Suit
The double-breasted suit men’s style was originally called the “reefer” jacket and came out as a casual piece of clothing in the 19th century. Events organized in the countryside or any sporting affairs became the grounds for these suits to be worn by people.
Till the 1940s, these suits had quite a flair and they were perceived to be symbolic of one’s wealthy status in society. However, after that, they suffered through a decline in their popularity and only came back up to make the headlines in the 21st century.
A single-breasted blazer may seem like a contemporary invention or relatively novel when compared to double-breasted suits. However, that is a completely false misjudgment. These jackets date back to the year 1666 when Charles II’s reign was ongoing. He banned cloaks and other such attires and made it mandatory for the nobility to don cassocks, vests and breeches.
Eventually, this became a holistic three-piece suit. With each future evolution of the design, the hem of the coats came up a bit higher than before. Years down the lane, by the end of World War I, a jacket that reached the hip became the usual choice of attire for people.
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When to Wear Single-Breasted and Double-Breasted Suits?
Ultimately, the decision is in your hands but it is better to finalize your outfit of the day depending on the occasion.
Surely, double-breasted suits aren’t as common as single-breasted ones but they can help you set yourself apart from the crowd at a formal event. They can easily be your go-to option for weddings or any such cocktail party of the sort. You can even wear them on a dinner date to show off your gentlemanly side. Wearing them to work is another option, just not to interviews maybe.
Single-breasted suits on the other hand are the best fit for a casual day or night out or a semi-formal event.
Double-breasted suits may seem more sophisticated and more erudite out of the two, however, single-breasted suits are equally elegant and have their own appeal.
Christopher Modoo, the senior creative at Chester Barrie puts it across eloquently, “…the single-breasted jacket can complement the most challenging of figures. It has become the international symbol of civilized business but executed in less formal clothes such as tweed or linen, it still has an air of its original, casual stance.”
At the end of the day, both blazer cuts are equally relevant and hold their ground in the modern world of fashion and revamping everything.
FAQs
Double-breasted suits have been popular ever since the mid-1930s. However, they lost momentum a bit midway, but are now back at the top of the formal couture list in 2021. Celebrities like David Bowie, Will Smith, Morgan Freeman have donned them from time to time and looked debonair sporting them.
Both have their equal charming points. While single-breasted suits are sleek and can be worn with jeans as well, double-breasted suits require more care and attention and are usually paired with their matching pants due to their classic and sophisticated vibe. It totally depends on the situation and the occasion as to which one you should pick. If the gathering is a bit more urbane than your usual affairs, you should definitely go for the latter.
Yes, double-breasted suits are deemed to precede their single-breasted counterparts in terms of formality. They are the perfect choice for business meetings or any formal soiree. Matching them with oxfords and an appropriate tie will elevate your entire look.
Although double-breasted suits are considered to be the classier counterpart, the job-finding website Monster advises interviewees to stride away from them and choose single-breasted suits instead for an interview. Single-breasted suits ooze a progressive and modern aura unlike the rigid look of the double-breasted suits. The trick is to look professional as well as an affable and appropriate pick for the job.
Your attire has a significant effect on your appearance and double-breasted suits have a tense and close-fitting look. Therefore, the double-breasted suits aren’t a good fit for men with a shorter height as they don’t go along well with their proportions. Moreover, people with shorter heights should also avoid high buttoning, as is done with double-breasted suits at times.
