Nowadays we are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a suit. The availability in colour, fabrics, patterns and cuts, can almost be overwhelming. When you cut back to basics though, your first decision needs to be whether you are going to choose a single or double-breasted suit.
Potted history of single and double-breasted suits
Double-breasted suits have come full circle, as most fashion does!
They go back a long way, and up until the 1920s, it was the social norm for men to wear a double-breasted suit in pretty much any walk of life, from the regular man in the street through to prime ministers, presidents and kings.
They were worn daily at the workplace and as everyday wear, and were – most definitely – the suit of choice for a formal event. Single-breasted suits were much less common and classed as informal.
The working class would wear single-breasted jackets made from heavy-duty, warm, hard-wearing fabric in dark tweed or wool, but these were worn for purely practical reasons and certainly not for fashion, like today’s tweed.
Single-breasted suits came to the forefront of menswear, courtesy of the two world wars, which had resulted in huge shortages of fabrics, which were amongst the many items that were rationed at the time.
Men’s suits were necessarily simplified from the double-breasted suit to the single-breasted one as they required much less fabric and also fewer buttons.
Single-breasted suits subsequently became more and more popular, whilst double-breasted suits became increasingly associated as fashion from a bygone era, generally worn by the upper- and middle-class elderly, as a nod to their past (as in many cases it still resided in their wardrobes from the pre-war days).
As time moved on, films such as James Bond, The Great Gatsby and the Kingsman have shone a spotlight back onto the double breasted suit, and have enticed tailors to delve back into the past. Now, the double-breasted suit is back, and it is here to stay!
What are the main differences between the two suits?
| Feature | Single-Breasted Suit | Double-Breasted Suit |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Sleek, minimalistic appearance | Distinctive, bold appearance |
| Buttons | Typically two functioning buttons (some with three) | Typically four or six buttons in pairs (half purely aesthetic) |
| Lapels | Available in notch, shawl, or peak lapels | Almost always peak lapels; sometimes shawl lapel |
| Versatility | Suitable for any occasion; can be worn with jeans or chinos | Generally more formal; less likely to be worn casually |
| Occasion Suitability | Appropriate for work, informal, and formal events | Commonly associated with formal or business settings |
| Styling Impact | Classic and understated look | Eye-catching; stands out more in an office environment |
When making a comparison between a single or double-breasted suit, it’s really just about the jacket. They have a distinctly different appearance, which is instantly noticeable.
Single-breasted suits generally have two functioning buttons (some have three) vs double-breasted suits will have four or six in pairs – half of which are purely aesthetic.
Single-breasted suits are available with a notch, shawl or peak lapel vs a double-breasted suit almost always has a peak lapel, sometimes a shawl lapel.
A single-breasted suit is worn for any occasion – for work, informal and formal occasions – and the jacket is often worn casually with jeans or chinos vs a double-breasted suit, which is usually associated with the more formal end of the suit spectrum.
However, there are no hard and fast rules, so if you like to be noticed, you will definitely turn heads wearing a double-breasted suit in the office!
Further things to consider
A single-breasted jacket can be worn open or with one to two buttons fastened vs a double-breasted jacket, which must always be worn with at least one or two of the buttons fastened until you sit down.
A double-breasted suit is designed with wide lapels, and a very pronounced overlap of material, which is designed to draw eyes to the chest and shoulder area giving the appearance of being taller vs a single-breasted suit jacket which crosses over by about an inch, with buttons fastening from the waist upward toward the chest, resulting in a more minimalist look.
In summary, single and double-breasted suits are neck-and-neck on the style and fashion scale. Both suits are designed to profile the figure, are commonly available in a slim or tailored fit and to be worn at the discretion of the wearer!
Current fashion and tailoring mean that the jackets are shorter and defined at the waist, and the matching trousers also come in a slim or tailored fit.