The subject of the double-breasted suit is so vast that a complete book can be written on it. When put on perfectly, this fashion staple can make anyone a handsome hunk. Men’s double-breasted suits have seen their era in the past. But its popularity lowered down around the 2000s when its single-breasted counterpart took its turn to flourish.
However, now this legendary suit style is making its comeback. If your wardrobe lacks the DB, this is the perfect time to invest in and make a statement. Here’s how you can wear and style a double-breasted suit and boast your best vestiary skills.
Tailor to fit
When it comes to double-breasted suits, fit is an important aspect. Getting fit is a very important thing. Though there is no need to be scar aware and avoid DBs. You don’t have to have an athlete build to carry out this ensemble with all its elegance. A double-breasted suit can be a striking outfit with correct measurements and a proportional fit. The robustness of your midsection determines the fit of your suit. If the stomach area of the jacket is cut slim instead of square, it will help you look trimmer from the waist. Along with this, long shoulder lines will also help broaden the upper body, enhancing your silhouette.
Keep things simple
The double-breasted suit is so much on its own that sometimes it looks slightly over the top with all the ornamentation work. It is obvious to try some embellishments when you’re choosing a double-breasted wedding suit for men. So, to keep things on a minimal side, you might want to incorporate a pocket square and lapel pin. But too many accessories might look overwhelming. Moreover, you also want to stick to classic colours too. In double-breasted suits, your choices are limited to black, charcoal, grey, and navy blue. Because DB suits are considered a more formal outfit, you only want to stick to darker and deeper colours.
Get your buttons right
No matter your suit’s style, the button rule will never change. The golden rule of buttoning suits is fastening only the top buttons and leaving the below ones open. Since double-breasted suits come with more buttons, it might be confusing which one to close and which ones to keep as it is. Though there basically will be two columns of buttons, sometimes only the first column will be functional. The other buttons might be just for ornamentation only. Among this, you will fasten up every button except the lower one. But when every button has buttonholes, you have to fasten the interior lower button to allow the jacket to stay close and lay flat.
If not sure, widen the lapels
If you are new to double-breasted suits or someone who likes to keep things simple, go for traditional wide-peak lapels. Double-breasted jackets usually come with peak lapels, which creates an illusion of a wider chest and shoulders. However, if you are a fashion enthusiast or confident man, feel free to experiment with lapels and pockets. For example, you can go for a shawl or notched lapels, which also look impeccable. But with any other lapel style than peak, keep pockets set in. Patched pockets are a big no-no, and you don’t often find this style on more of a formal kind of suit.
Add a bold tie
Ties are an essential accessory in any suit, especially in tuxedos suits for men. For wider lapels, double-breasted suits need a bold and wide tie to accentuate your physical attributes. This means bow ties won’t do the work here. Slim ties are a perfect modern choice for suits. But if you’re styling for DB suits, picking traditional wide ties would be a good idea. However, you don’t have to follow this as a hard rule. The slim tie will also look fabulous. Here you have a chance to flaunt a double Windsor knot to give that brother and fuller look to your collars.
Dress it down with casual wear
Although double-breasted suits are more formal, they are not limited to those official occasions only. This versatile suit can be easily dressed down to suit your sartorial needs. One of the best practices to eliminate the formality of your double-breasted suit is to style it with separates. Chinos and a DB jacket make the best pair. And to make it more informal, you can layer it on a t-shirt or turtleneck for dinner parties. For footwear, you can choose from boots to sneakers, as every piece of footwear looks equally chic. And when the weather heats high, pairing shorts and slippers will also look exceptionally fine.
Double-breasted suits are coming back when fashion has evolved a lot and left most former fashion conventions. The suit is considered more formal apparel. However, as contemporary standards prevail, you might question how to wear this elegant clothing piece in today’s times. The article has served that question and also gave you some tips on how this versatile clothing can be dressed down.
