Rules of the Game #1: Sometimes, Always, Never

The code of three-button suit jackets and blazers

Well.

It's surprising to me how quickly my opinion of whether something is stylish or not can change.  As I learn more and more about men's style and the 'rules' of the game, things that I never even noticed before either bug me or impress me - that is, I have an opinion on style matters I didn't before.  How else could I explain the short-sleeved shirts (I'll be covering these later) and black trousers I wore to work every day, happily oblivious?

My opinion on three-button suits is a case in point.  I used to favour two-button jackets because I thought three-buttoned ones were stuffy and conservative.  I favour a long V down the front and a two-button jacket gives you this.  When a three-button jacket has its top two buttons fastened, the V isn't as long and the whole look changes.  And so this is why I swore my navy three-buttoned jacket would be an only child in my wardrobe, doomed to spend its life envying its more dynamic two-buttoned siblings.

About to deal in sombre matters.

But that was because I thought the rule regarding three-buttoned suits was that you always did the top two buttons up.  I wasn't thinking outside the box.  I was bound to the unmoveable anvil of the rules (well, not quite).

Then I discovered that the rule is actually 'Sometimes, Always, Never' when looking down your chest.  Basically, you always leave the bottom button undone, you always fasten the middle button (because it's the waist button) and whether you do up the top button is down to however you're feeling at the time.

This V will elongate into a more pleasing one.

I pulled my three-button jacket out of its therapy session, fastened only the middle button and was immediately struck by how much better it looked.  I had my long V.  And I liked having the top button there, undone, as a quirky little feature.  So taken was I by this effect that I will probably make all my future suit jackets three-button where possible.  I have the choice of leaving the top button undone, as I probably will most of the time, but I can do it up if I want to look smarter than usual.

The lesson to learn is: always do up the middle button, but see how you feel about the top button.  The bottom button, as always, is for heathens only.