The London Lounge

Just the other day I wore the very first DB jacket that I'd had made at Anderson & Sheppard. It has a few aspects that were improved in later editions, but also one that was changed and perhaps not for the better. Its buttons (standard 6x2) are an inch or more lower than on my later jackets. The waist is still very slightly-- although not as much as it could be-- above the navel but the bottom buttons line up more with the bottom edges of the pocket flaps rather than the top seams.

For the life of me I can't remember why this jacket was done differently. It fits just as well as when it was new, but the longer swoop of the lapels and the slightly more visible shirt and tie appeals to me now.

Has anyone else made a conscious choice on this issue? Is there a standard default setting, or some doctrinal ruling that might lead a tailor one way or the other?

Concordia

I think the DB button stance question is somewhat analogous to the 3B vs 2B SB in the sense that a lot of it has to do with one's build. I think a tall slender man can best wear the higher button stance on the DB, it gives him breadth and shape (like the 3B SB.)



A heavier or shorter man may prefer the more open, elongating line of the lower stance DB (like the 2B SB.) Most of the time a tailor will move the notch up and down with the changing button stance, keeping the lapel length constant as shown below.



I find this to be a good approach as overly long lapels on a low button stance blots away some of the inherent "class" of the DB (what we like about it.)

Cheers

Michael Alden

Interesting thoughts. I'm actually not really a fan of the second photo-- the lapels seem to be somewhat pasted on the front of the jacket.

Anyway, I'll bring old and new vintage to this week's meetings and see what Hitchcock has to say about them.

Turned out to be a small deal. I modeled both, got a murmer that "Yes, it is low" followed by "You'd like us to do the next one that way?" and a quick measurement.

Incidentally, Hitchcock was wearing a very sharp DB suit in the darkest navy blue linen from W Bill. Scarcely wrinkled at all, and just the right tool to cope with the newly-warm humidity of what passes for spring around here.