Single-Breasted Jackets

Single-breasted men’s suit jackets come with a single row of buttons down the front; the flaps in it overlap sufficiently to allow space for buttons. By contrast, a double-breasted coat has two parallel columns of buttons and a much wider overlap.

The single-breasted jacket is a great all-purpose choice, much easier to wear than double-breasted and suited to most body types.

The classic silhouette of the single-breasted jacket features a lean cut, shortened rise and narrow lapel, usually tailored to give a clean, sharp look.

Single-breasted jackets for men’s suits typically have two or three buttons to fasten them; jackets with one or four buttons can be found but are less common.

The notch lapel is the norm for a single-breasted jacket, though peak lapels are increasingly fashionable. The width of the lapel has always been one of the most fashion-conscious features of the single-breasted suit jacket, effectively enabling one to date the style; wide lapels are currently out of fashion, however, and the classic man’s suit today has narrow peak lapels on a single-breasted jacket.

 

Vents on single-breasted jackets may be single, double, or absent.