7-5-2011
Two-button business.
If you are wearing a two-button blazer in a business-formal setting, such as at work in the office, how should the blazer be buttoned? Should both buttons be buttoned or only the top one?—Sam, Boston, MA
Like remembering what fork goes with what course in a table setting, the rules for fastening buttons on jackets can be confusing too. Luckily, we’re only dealing with two here so it’s pretty easy to remember.
The rule is: top button, sometimes; bottom button, never. So when you’re meeting clients or in the boardroom, or perhaps just walking around the office, consider buttoning the top button. Otherwise, it’s perfectly fine to leave it unfastened. Here’s Alex P. Keaton showing us how it’s done.
As far as the bottom button goes, the simple answer is just no. Here’s a picture of President Kennedy, usually a world leader in the style department, with his bottom button fastened for some reason. As you can see, the jacket is pulling slightly and doesn’t appear to fit as well as his brothers’ jackets, which are fastened with only one button. But then again, when you’re the President of the United States you can button whatever you like.
