3 roll 2.5 jacket for short men

[Screaminmarlon]

A 3 buttons roll 2 or 2,5 never hurt anyone.
In Italy you'll find plenty of them, on people tall and short, fat and slim. It's served well the ones everyone admires (Agnelli, Totò, De Sica, Barbera): done well is a wonderful cut.
I'm partial to 3b (with or without roll), so my advice has some bias to it, but I'm in a very good company.
Saluti
M.

[uppercase]

I think that Yasu's concern as a self described shorter guy is that a 3 button coat would cover up too much of the chest and so shorten him visually rather than elongate him.

Fair question.

I think that he's right that he would want more shirt exposed under his coat which would visually elongate his figure.

A 3 button, roll 2.5, would shorten him, IMO, truncate him. Too much cloth up front.

The issue of button holes in the lapel, etc. is secondary to Yasu's question of how to elongate his torso through tailoring.

Regardless of the illustrious provenance of 3 button coats, etc. etc. tailoring is first and foremost about the individual, about hiding the 'flaws', emphasizing the strengths, of one's figure and giving oneself the best aspect and resultant sense of confidence.

If someone wants heighth through tailoring, a 3/2.5 is not the answer.

Anecdotally, I see too many photos of men wearing soft shoulder suits when their shoulders don't support that sloping look, despite how popular that soft, round construction may be. And square shoulders similarly do not fit every figure.

I don't subscribe to the view that every style, fits everybody equally.

One size does not fit all. And certainly in bespoke tailoring our options are endless for enhancing one's appearance and self-perception through tailoring. If we understand that, we might view things differently.

Having said that, I do understand at the same time that tailoring style choices are not simply one of enhancing our figures but also, perhaps much more importantly, of conforming to our personalities and internal landscape.

[J.S. Groot]

I think that he's right that he would want more shirt exposed under his coat which would visually elongate his figure.

A 3 button, roll 2.5, would shorten him, IMO, truncate him. Too much cloth up front.

...

If someone wants heighth through tailoring, a 3/2.5 is not the answer.

Well, to further complicate matters, the visual appearance of height is also tied to proportions. As a fellow vertically challenged specimen with legs that appear shorter relative to my torso, I usually find that the increased shirt exposure and the deeper 'V' of a two button coat rather than giving the illusion of height actually does the opposite because it makes the torso appear heavier and more prominent vis-a-vis the legs. For me achieving a balanced look is all about elongating the leg line, which is partly achieved by high rise trousers in a reasonable trim cut with a good tapering to the leg, but also by the very truncation of the 3/2.5 jacket you allude to, Uppercase. I find that the 3/2.5 jacket blurs buttoning point somewhat because of the roll of the lapels, whereas a two button jacket marks it more starkly. The former draws less attention to the fact that my legs ended long ago at the point of buttoning, while the latter reminds every viewer of it.

As an added final obstruction, the cut of the jacket matters too. I find that the reasonably fitted cut of my Italian suits, without much drape (though not necessarily with so-called 'natural' shoulders - the jury is still out on that one) brings out what little long lines I possess, whereas the roomier cut with pinched waist of my more English suits (they are not English, really, but definitely closer to the English style) swallows them up a bit more.

I concede, though, that all of this might well be going on in my head alone.

[J.S. Groot]

Having said that, I do understand at the same time that tailoring style choices are not simply one of enhancing our figures but also, perhaps much more importantly, of conforming to our personalities and internal landscape.

Indeed.

I find that advice from other people on specificities such as the number of buttons is often quite useless. There is always a big difference between how something looks theoretically, how it looks on other people, and how it pans out on yourself. I love paisley ties on others, but I can't wear them myself. I just doesn't work.

Reading Apparel Arts or Alan Flusser, or the posts of the members on this forum, can broaden your horizon and sharpen your appreciation of various aspects of clothing, but in the end, you must try things out and slowly develop and sense of what works for you.

[Screaminmarlon]

I don't think that a 3 buttons will shorten the perceived height of a man: I guess the proportion between the parts plays a far more important role, but since we're talking about bespoke (no pun intended) this shouldn't be a worry. A good taylor will cut either a 2b or a 3b SB proportioned to the wearer.
I know that some even say that DB suits are out of question for the not so tall men.
It only happens if you believe it

[davidhuh]

I don't think that a 3 buttons will shorten the perceived height of a man: I guess the proportion between the parts plays a far more important role,

Dear Screamin,

correct. The Duke was 1,70, and he was wearing the style. Without the third button, but still

Cheers, David

[hectorm]

I don't subscribe to the view that every style, fits everybody equally....
....Having said that, I do understand at the same time that tailoring style choices are not simply one of enhancing our figures but also, perhaps much more importantly, of conforming to our personalities and internal landscape.

Upon agreeing with UC, apologies if I state what may be the obvious for many of the LL members: a well cut suit in the "wrong" style is much more elegant and flattering to the wearer that a mediocre suit in the "right" style for that person.

[alden]

I have always worn the 3 rolled through to 2.5. The uppermost buttonhole in the lapel is not seen when the coat is fastened. But I have the option of closing the top button if I feel I need to be more covered. It is, in my mind, a most flexible and aesthetically pleasing solution: the look of the 2 and flexibility of the 3.

Cheers

IMG_0782 by The London Lounge, on Flickr

[yasu10s]

Thank you, everyone, for the recommendations. I am gonna give it a shot this summer. That is the only way I find out if I will like it or not.

Cheers,
Yasu

[uppercase]

Great photo Alden!

Question:
-on 2 and 3 button coats, should the coat be cut and fit so that all buttons actually button?
-are 1,2,and 3 button coats all cut differently? in other words, do the number of buttons determine the tailoring?

TIA

[aston]

I have always understood that the middle button of a three button coat, or the top button of a two button coat, is the one which fastens, and that therefore this is at the natural waist.

The bottom button of a two button coat is of no practical use, and the top of a three button is rarely used but can be to provide more "cover" if warmth is needed.

Does this sound about right?

[hectorm]

... the middle button of a three button coat, or the top button of a two button coat, is the one which fastens, and that therefore this is at the natural waist.

Not always is the button that fastens placed exactly at the natural waist. It may be placed a bit higher or lower in order to strike the right balance. The coat shouldn't follow your contour blindly; it should dress you in the most flattering manner. There are also other considerations for that placement, some of them very personal. For instance, I find a higher stance more formal or desirable for winter suits, and a lower one more relaxed ideal for summer suits. But of course we are talking of no more than half an inch in each direction.

[alden]

-on 2 and 3 button coats, should the coat be cut and fit so that all buttons actually button?
-are 1,2,and 3 button coats all cut differently? in other words, do the number of buttons determine the tailoring?

UC

The bottom buttons on my 3 button coats do not fasten. They are not mean to fasten. The top two do.

I will leave it to a tailor to answer your question on cutting. I suspect they are very much the same.

Cheers

[HristoStefanov]

My motive for this is that it gives the lapel a nice "roll", which imo makes the jacket look more elegant.
Here are some examples:

For my personal subjective opinion, in this case the buttoning happens rather too low on the body attracting the sight there. I would prefer that things are going more up and attracting the attention to the face.
P.S. It is a lovely jacket nevertheless.

[alden]

This example is a straight 3 button front whose button point normally is slightly lower than a 2 button front. Worn with a good necktie or ascot or scarf, I imagine our view would go to the face.