Why does my new wool coat...

[Fried Dough Ho]

...have some sealed, but closed sewn buttonholes?

It is as though there was an intent to add more buttons to have it be able to close the coat up to my neck, but there are no buttons up around the neck as there are no buttons to match the holes.

And, before I bought the coat, I made sure it was not a one-off mistake; every coat of the same design on the rack had these started.

Lastly, if asked why I am buying a wool coat in August: I live in San Francisco and we are having our coldest summer ever. It was 58° degrees yesterday and worthy of a wool coat!

[Shot From Guns]

They're there for reasons of form, not function. Same reason my suit coats have pockets that are sewn shut--you're not actually supposed to put anything in them, because it destroys the line of the jacket.

[Fried Dough Ho]

They're there for reasons of form, not function. Same reason my suit coats have pockets that are sewn shut--you're not actually supposed to put anything in them, because it destroys the line of the jacket.

Hmmmm... I'm not sure I understand - or agree.

How is sewing in unopened buttonholes on a lapel part of form?

And I always thought that pockets which were sewn shut were meant to be opened after purchase. Why else would they be made fully lined? If they aren't meant to be used, then just the external flap could be created with no actual pocket inset.

[even sven]

Perhaps they are to give you the option to put buttons there if you like. Having buttons there to begin with might look slightly less attractive, so they leave them off. But they recognize some people might really want to button it up higher, so they leave that an option.

[Shot From Guns]

Hmmmm... I'm not sure I understand - or agree.

How is sewing in unopened buttonholes on a lapel part of form?

Because they want a coat that looks like it could be buttoned all the way up, without actually giving you the capability of doing so, because the style dictates that the coat be worn open at the neck.

[Dewey Finn]

They're there for reasons of form, not function. Same reason my suit coats have pockets that are sewn shut--you're not actually supposed to put anything in them, because it destroys the line of the jacket.
Similarly, men's suits have non-functional buttons on the sleeves (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/99/why-do-mens-suits-have-buttons-on-the-sleeves); it's a matter of form over function.

[TruCelt]

It's so you can give that rakish air of wearing the coat for it's great looks, but actually not needing to keep yourself warm by buttoning it all the way up. . .

[Fried Dough Ho]

Perhaps they are to give you the option to put buttons there if you like. Having buttons there to begin with might look slightly less attractive, so they leave them off. But they recognize some people might really want to button it up higher, so they leave that an option.

But then, wouldn't they supply me with the same style buttons that are already on the coat? What would be the sense of giving me holes without the buttons? I actually wouldn't mind buttoning it up higher and now have to hunt out similar-looking buttons...

[Gary T]

But then, wouldn't they supply me with the same style buttons that are already on the coat?Are you sure they didn't? Many clothing items come with an extra button or two, sometimes in a tiny bag stuck into an easy-to-overlook inside pocket.

[Shot From Guns]

But then, wouldn't they supply me with the same style buttons that are already on the coat? What would be the sense of giving me holes without the buttons? I actually wouldn't mind buttoning it up higher and now have to hunt out similar-looking buttons...

They gave you holes without buttons because the coat is meant to be left unbuttoned at the top. Depending on the style, as it's left unbuttoned, it's entirely possible that no one will ever even see that there are no buttons across from the sealed holes.

Many clothing items come with an extra button or two, sometimes in a tiny bag stuck into an easy-to-overlook inside pocket.

Yeah, those are for replacing any buttons that fall off... not for affixing across from purely decorative holes that are never meant to be used.

[Fried Dough Ho]

But then, wouldn't they supply me with the same style buttons that are already on the coat?Are you sure they didn't? Many clothing items come with an extra button or two, sometimes in a tiny bag stuck into an easy-to-overlook inside pocket.


I got one extra button - but there are three closed-sewn buttonholes...

[Omar Little]

Same reason my suit coats have pockets that are sewn shut--you're not actually supposed to put anything in them, because it destroys the line of the jacket.


Uh, no....they sew they pockets on suit jackets to make it easier to press the suits after it is made but before its are sold. You should take the thread out and use the pockets.

[Shot From Guns]

Uh, no....they sew they pockets on suit jackets to make it easier to press the suits after it is made but before its are sold. You should take the thread out and use the pockets.

I'm a woman. The pockets, depending on the suit, are teeny-tiny or actually nonexistent. They are not intended to be used.

[Contrapuntal]

But then, wouldn't they supply me with the same style buttons that are already on the coat? What would be the sense of giving me holes without the buttons?In case one or more of the functional button holes drops off or is damaged you have spares.

[Shot From Guns]

Nevermind, I think Contrapuntal nailed it.

[Fried Dough Ho]

Uh, no....they sew they pockets on suit jackets to make it easier to press the suits after it is made but before its are sold. You should take the thread out and use the pockets.

I'm a woman. The pockets, depending on the suit, are teeny-tiny or actually nonexistent. They are not intended to be used.

I am also a woman and my Armani suits came with the pockets closed. But the thread was removed to reveal pockets large enough for a compact, lipstick, drivers license, or more.

They certainly ARE intended to be used.

[Shot From Guns]

You can go ahead and put things in them, then. Stuff too much in there and they're still going to look like ass. :p (Same with a guy putting much other than a pocket square in a chest pocket.)

[SmellMyWort]

But then, wouldn't they supply me with the same style buttons that are already on the coat? What would be the sense of giving me holes without the buttons? I actually wouldn't mind buttoning it up higher and now have to hunt out similar-looking buttons...

They gave you holes without buttons because the coat is meant to be left unbuttoned at the top. Depending on the style, as it's left unbuttoned, it's entirely possible that no one will ever even see that there are no buttons across from the sealed holes.

Many clothing items come with an extra button or two, sometimes in a tiny bag stuck into an easy-to-overlook inside pocket.

Yeah, those are for replacing any buttons that fall off... not for affixing across from purely decorative holes that are never meant to be used.

(Bolding mine) But her jacket doesn't have holes. The holes are sewn shut. If the extra holes were just for looks, why would they sew them shut?

[Shot From Guns]

Because they're just for looks, so they're sewn shut, to make it clear that they're purely decorative and you shouldn't try to cram any buttons through them.

[Gary T]

But her jacket doesn't have holes. The holes are sewn shut. If the extra holes were just for looks, why would they sew them shut?Unless I'm sadly mistaken, with button holes (different from pockets) it's not that they're sewn shut, but that the hole is never cut in the first place. It essentially amounts to decorative stitching that exactly mimics a buttonhole, but without cutting the slit for a button to go through.

[Fried Dough Ho]

But her jacket doesn't have holes. The holes are sewn shut. If the extra holes were just for looks, why would they sew them shut?Unless I'm sadly mistaken, with button holes (different from pockets) it's not that they're sewn shut, but that the hole is never cut in the first place. It essentially amounts to decorative stitching that exactly mimics a buttonhole, but without cutting the slit for a button to go through.


Exactly. And for a decorative motif, it seems very odd which is why I was trying to figure it out.

[Shot From Guns]

Coats were made that buttoned up to the chin. Those were sometimes worn open. Some designer decided that they liked the open look better than the buttoned one, and made a coat that echoed the style of the high-collared ones, but forced you to keep it unbuttoned all the time.

Seems pretty straightforward to me. Anytime you can't figure out what something does on a piece of clothing, that probably means it's there because someone thought it looked good.

[hobscrk777]

They're there for reasons of form, not function. Same reason my suit coats have pockets that are sewn shut--you're not actually supposed to put anything in them, because it destroys the line of the jacket.
Similarly, men's suits have non-functional buttons on the sleeves (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/99/why-do-mens-suits-have-buttons-on-the-sleeves); it's a matter of form over function.

Many high-end brands make sleeves with functioning button holes.

[even sven]

I got one extra button - but there are three closed-sewn buttonholes...

Are there any mystery buttons? Many high-end coats come with extra buttons sewn inside in inconspicuous places. I have a lot of coats that have an extra button inside near the lower hem, near the inside pocket, or inside the lapel.

[Fried Dough Ho]

I got one extra button - but there are three closed-sewn buttonholes...

Are there any mystery buttons? Many high-end coats come with extra buttons sewn inside in inconspicuous places. I have a lot of coats that have an extra button inside near the lower hem, near the inside pocket, or inside the lapel.

Nope - I went and looked...

[Shot From Guns]

Many high-end brands make sleeves with functioning button holes.

Yes, but you're still not supposed to unbutton them.

Are there any mystery buttons? Many high-end coats come with extra buttons sewn inside in inconspicuous places. I have a lot of coats that have an extra button inside near the lower hem, near the inside pocket, or inside the lapel.

Those are still buttons that are meant as extras to replace ones that fall off--not to sew on across from button holes that are purely aesthetic. If you put buttons across from those holes, ur doin it worng.