On a two-button blazer you fasten only the top button, on a three-button blazer the middle one, and you always leave the bottom button open. On a waistcoat the bottom button also stays open, while on a polo without a tie you wear the top button open. A shirt without a tie is worn with one button open; with a tie you fasten everything. And when you sit down, you unbutton your blazer. These rules are not arbitrary: they make clothes hang well and move with you. Below you can read how it works for each garment and why.
The overview
| Garment | Fastened | Open |
|---|---|---|
| Blazer, two buttons | Top | Bottom, always |
| Blazer, three buttons | Middle (top optional) | Bottom, always |
| Blazer, one button | That one, when standing | When sitting |
| Waistcoat | All except the bottom | Bottom |
| Shirt without tie | All except the top | Top (sometimes two) |
| Shirt with tie | All | None |
| Polo with button placket | Your choice | Usually the top, or all |
The blazer: never the bottom one
The rule that the bottom button of a blazer stays open is so old that nobody knows exactly where it comes from. More important is that modern blazers are also designed for it. The front panels slope away below the bottom button. If you fasten it anyway, the fabric pulls, creases form around the hips and you can move less well.
On a two-button blazer you fasten the top one. On three buttons the middle one is a must, the top one is optional, depending on how the lapels fall. A one-button blazer you fasten when standing. And for every blazer: as soon as you sit down, you undo it. Otherwise the jacket pulls across your stomach and the fabric creases. If you stand up to greet someone or give a presentation, you fasten the button again. It is a small gesture that shows you know how it should be done.
The wool cardigan: calm by leaving the bottom button open
On a cardigan too the bottom button traditionally stays open, just as on a waistcoat under a suit. That gives the lower edge of the cardigan room and stops it riding up when you sit down. With a wool cardigan with a tailored cut, such as the Maximilian cardigan in beige, in 100% wool, that is a lovely way to wear it polished. If you want to wear it more like a jacket, you can also leave it completely open over a shirt or polo. That looks more relaxed, ideal for a Friday at the office or a dinner.
Preferably don't wear the cardigan with all the buttons done up if it fits tightly; then the buttons pull and the cardigan loses its line. Have a tailor move a button if the cardigan is just a little too tight around the stomach.
The shirt: the top button
With a tie you fasten all the buttons, including the top one. Without a tie you leave the top one open. Two open buttons is possible too, but only if the shirt fits well and the occasion is informal. Three is too many for almost any situation. A shirt with an Italian collar, such as the Hamilton shirt in white, in 100% cotton, lends itself well to being worn without a tie: the collar spreads nicely open and stays neat with one button open.
Don't forget the cuffs. A shirt under a blazer is worn with the cuffs fastened. Rolled-up sleeves belong to an informal setting without a jacket.
The polo: open, closed or half
With a polo with a button placket you decide how much to open, but the most polished choice is the top button open and the rest fastened, or all buttons open for a relaxed look. All buttons fastened without a tie can look modern, but only on a polo with a well-fitting collar and a slim fit. The Atticus in navy, a striped cotton polo with buttons, looks best worn with one or two buttons open.
There are also polos that solve the dilemma. An open polo without buttons, such as the Theodore in dark charcoal melange, in lyocell, has an open neckline without a fastening and always sits neatly. A polo with a quarter-zip, such as the Julian in ivory cream, in cotton, silk and linen, you control with the zip: half open for a relaxed look, closed further when it is fresh.
And the coat?
With an overcoat the rules are less strict, but the principle is the same. The coat must hang well. A single-breasted coat with three or four buttons you usually wear with all the buttons except the bottom one done up when it is cold, or completely open over a blazer if you are outside briefly. A double-breasted coat you always wear fastened; open it hangs unevenly and looks sloppy. With a coat that has both a zip and buttons you preferably use both when it is windy, so the front panels don't flap open. In the car or on the train, open your coat completely, then it creases less.
Why these rules matter
Button rules look like details, but they determine how clothes hang. A blazer with the bottom button fastened pulls; a waistcoat that is fully fastened rides up; a shirt with the top button done up and no tie looks as if you've forgotten something. If you know the rules, you automatically look more polished, without buying anything extra.
Quick to remember
- Bottom button of blazer and waistcoat: always open.
- Sitting down: blazer undone. Standing up: blazer fastened.
- No tie: top button of the shirt open.
- Polo: the top one open, or all.
You can find more combinations in our knitwear for Men, the polos and the shirts. For an evening out, the Dinner & Dates collection offers inspiration.
Shop the look
Maximilian: wool cardigan with tailored cut, beige
Hamilton: shirt with Italian collar, white
Atticus: striped cotton polo, navy
Theodore: fine-knit open lyocell polo, dark charcoal melange
Julian: quarter-zip polo in cotton, silk and linen, ivory cream
Frequently asked questions
Why don't you fasten the bottom button of a blazer?
Modern blazers are cut so that the front panels fall away below the bottom button. If you fasten it anyway, the fabric pulls and you move less freely.
Should I undo my blazer when I sit down?
Yes. That way the jacket doesn't pull across your stomach and creases less. When you stand up, you fasten the button again.
How many shirt buttons can be open without a tie?
One, and at an informal occasion two. More than two is too many for almost any situation.
