In this edition of our "Let's Begin" series, we discuss different suit and jacket styles.
Try to picture a suit or sport jacket, and odds are the first image that pops into your head is of a single-breasted suit. The reason for this is simply because a single-breasted jacket is by far the most prevalent style due to its versatility.
It can be worn as part of a suit and also separately as an odd jacket without giving the impression of over-the-top formality, unlike its double-breasted counterpart.
A double-breasted jacket differs from single-breasted in that there is an overlap between the two fronts of the jacket and two columns of buttons.
Though debatable, in comparison with a single-breasted, the double-breasted is generally seen to sacrifice versatility and understatement for an emphasis on its wearer’s breadth, thereby projecting a more masculine silhouette. This effect stems from the extended and therefore strengthened diagonal line of the jacket’s lapel, necessary to create the jacket’s overlap.
The next item to consider after settling on either single- or double-breasted is the number of buttons on the jacket, with the most common number being two buttons. Three button jackets were highly popular in the past, but are more common nowadays as part of a three-roll-two button configuration (which is Prologue’s house style).
At Prologue, our house cut’s default shoulder expression is the con rollino, which is a slightly extended, natural, and unpadded shoulder. This slight shoulder extension gives the impression of wider shoulders (hence more masculine and athletic) yet remains both comfortable and suitable for a range of occasions from the office to most occasions.
Another popular expression is the spalla camicia, which is similar to con rollino, but differs in that the sleeve is inserted into the armscye of the jacket with extra ease and shirring much like in a shirt (hence the name shirt shoulder). The last major consideration in a jacket’s style is the type of front pocket. The three main options are: jetted, flap, and patch pockets.