# Why does my new wool coat... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 5, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-new-wool-coat/549277 "2010-08-05T15:43:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-new-wool-coat/549277/21 "2010-08-05T20:56:45Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > > [@SmellMyWort](#): > > > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-new-wool-coat/549277/22 "2010-08-05T21:02:07Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-new-wool-coat/549277/23 "2010-08-05T23:25:45Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > [@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. > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-new-wool-coat/549277/24 "2010-08-06T01:31:44Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-new-wool-coat/549277/25 "2010-08-06T01:44:11Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > > [@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… ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-new-wool-coat/549277/26 "2010-08-06T16:10:28Z")
> [@hobscrk777](#): > > Many high-end brands make sleeves with functioning button holes. Yes, but you’re still not supposed to unbutton them. > [@even\_sven](#): > > 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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-new-wool-coat/549277.md?page=1)