I may have worn a suit twice in my life… can’t remember. By watching American TV programs I see that when wearing a suit, when you sit down, apparently you are obligated to open the jacket by opening the button. When you stand up, you once again are obliged to button it up and close the jacket.
Is this real? That is, no buttoned jackets allowed while sitting down, no unbuttoned jackets allowed standing up?
Help! I am losing sleep over this.
You don’t want to leave the jacket buttoned while you sit because the jacket will bunch up on you. Not only will it look bad but it will be uncomfortable as well.
Most people won’t care if you leave the jacket unbuttoned while standing.
Honestly, given the business casual nature of the US anymore, I would never wear a suit to an interview unless it was common. When sitting with a suit coat, however, it bunches uncomfortably and looks bad, so yes, unbutton as needed. Once you wear the coat that way, you will see and act accordingly…just do it coool. Like Elvis.
Generally speaking, the heavier you are the more your body expands incrementally when you go from standing to sitting. A properly fitted suit should be trim enough that most people can’t sit comfortably without unbuttoning it.
When I first started wearing suits as a youth, I was overweight and got them from department stores. Now I’m certainly not in amazing shape but am a healthy weight and I get my suits made for me. I really have no need to unbutton my jacket when I sit, but I usually do out of habit.
Incidentally, gentlemen never button their bottom button under any circumstances out of tradition. If you’ve incorrectly buttoned it while standing, I imagine anyone would need to unbutton it to sit.
This is really very bad advice for any professional position in the US. You should wear a suit to almost any professional interview.
You’re not obligated to do a darn thing, and you’re allowed to do whatever you want. However, a suit jacket or sport coat will look better if it’s buttoned while you’re standing and unbuttoned while you’re sitting.
This. If you’re in a situation where you want to feel a little neater while standing, then go ahead and button the top button.
The story I heard was that Henry VIII gained some (more) weight and couldn’t button the bottom but decided to wear the suit (or was it a vest?) anyway, and said, “I shall make a fashion of necessity.” Or something like that.
Anyway, right: it depends on the suit and the person. Most of my life I’ve been rather too thin, and only had to unbutton double-breasted jackets.
Also remember that when you button your jacket, it is custom to leave the bottom button undone at all times. So if it is a two button, you would button the top. Three button, either the middle or the top and middle.
You unbutton your jacket when sitting so the jacket still can drape, rather than bunch up and wrinkle. On most material weights, sitting with it buttoned would also force the lapels out and the shoulders and collar up, which doesn’t look right.