The London Lounge

Lately, I had my LL BoB tweed coat made up with one large horn button on the sleeve cuff.

My next couple of projects will be some 15oz fresco suits. I am thinking of using the same one button detail.

I know I am in unconventional territory, but I find this one button detail sportier and intuitively feel it may be appropriate for a fresco suit.

Thoughts?

Entirely a matter for you, old bean. Snootier Brits say of a man who has only 3 buttons on his cuff: 'He's lost a button off his cuff'; meaning 'He's not our sort of chap'. I am not sure whether these frightful snobs would go so far as to increase the condemnation for missing 2 or even 3.

I also like the single button cuff for sports jackets, but I only used it once with a suit coat that was part of a very sporty linen suit (yoke and darts + half belt in the back). A city fresco suit is not really that sporty, is it?

Do I gather that a single-button is also appropriate on a DJ, making it both a very casual OR very formal detail?

I should say definitely casual. Wouldn't do it on a DJ.

I've seen this done. There's a hedge fund manager I know who wears a single large button on his cuffs. To me it says two things: he gets his suits made for him, and he doesn't have a tailor with backbone.

It’s no secret that I prefer one button sleeves for sporting coats such as tweeds. There is a good deal of evidence in AA records to show that this style was widely applied and accepted in the past, at least in the UK. The one button cuff has the advantage of clean lines and is also practical if you need to roll up your sleeves during a jaunt in the country.



The only traces of one buttons, on more suit-like garb, in AA can be seen below. Here we have what appears to be a SB peak with a one button sleeve worn in a country atmosphere, a polo match.



I would not use the one button sleeve on any suit destined for business or “city” applications. But if the intent were a "travel suit", it might be chic.

Cheers