Founded in 2008, Hockerty is the e-commerce leader in custom suits and custom dress shirts, as we offer our customers complete freedom to design their own clothes by choosing from a wide range of styles and fabrics. 
Straight to the most important, how to button a suit:
What buttons to button on a suit?
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1 Button Suit Jacket: Obviously you button the only one
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2 Button Suit Jacket: Button only the top button
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3 Button Suit Jacket: Button the top and the middle button.
We hope that it helps in understanding the rules of when to button your suit jacket buttons. Now you know the suit button rule. Please help us spread the suit buttoning rules, once you know them you will just notice everyone that is doing it the wrong way. By the way, do you know the difference of a blazer vs suit jacket? Read our blog post about it.
Do it the right way:
Short History - Why don't we tie the bottom button?
You probably know by now that one should always leave the bottom button of a suit undone, but have you ever thought to wonder why this is? Well, legend has it that King Edwards VII, who ruled in the early 1900s, started this trend. What the story says is that he got so round around his belly that he was not able to close the bottom button of his suit jacket. In order to not offend the king, his employees started to leave their bottom button unbuttoned as well. This ‘trend’ then gradually spread from the UK to the rest of the world…and here we are today!
Use the Hockerty 3D suits designer to choose the jacket style you want for your suit
Sleeve Buttons on a Suit - Why are buttons on a man's suit sleeve
Regardless of if the sleeve buttons fill a function or not, a suit jacket will have one to four buttons on the sleeve. Since the sleeve buttons have no real function, some prefer 'fake holes' as these look better. Others argue the only or the best, way to see (read show off) a tailored suit is by looking at the sleeve buttons, as a tailored suit rarely has fake sleeve buttons.
Select the number of sleeve buttons that you want and real and with or without buttonholes - Hockerty 3D suit designer
2 sleeve buttons is casual, four buttons are formal. Choose the number of buttons according to when, and to what occasion(s), you will use the suit.
Regarding the space between the buttons, a general rule is that the buttons should touch. You don’t want a gap between the buttons, but you also don’t want them to overlap each other. When the buttons are so close that they touch without overlapping each other, then you have it right. Remember; this has a lot to do with taste and preference. Some prefer when the buttons overlap each other, whereas others like a bigger gap between each button. You decide!
1 Button Jackets
One buttoned jackets are flattering for slim men, and often worn to black tie events (Tuxedos). We also recommend it to our tall customers, as it may balance better their proportions.
HOW TO WEAR IT: Buttoned when standing, unbuttoned when sitting.
2 Button Suit Jacket
Two buttoned jacket is one of the more classic looks, as it looks good on most (dare I say all?) body types. If you still have doubts after reading this post, this is the option you should choose.
HOW TO WEAR IT: Top button buttoned when standing, unbuttoned when sitting, bottom button never buttoned.
Blue 100% Linen Two Buttons Jacket
3 Button Suit Jacket
Three buttoned jacket suits are great for taller men because of the button's alignment. Take a look at our 3 button suits.
HOW TO WEAR IT: Top button optional to button or not, middle button is buttoned (even when sitting), bottom button unbuttoned.
4 Button Suit Jacket (double-breasted)
A double-breasted jacket has usually has four, six, or eight buttons, and it’s considered more formal than the single-breasted one.
Beige Double Breasted 100% Linen Jacket
Real Vs Fake Sleeve Button Holes
One of the easiest ways of telling a tailor-made suit from an off the rack bought suit is looking at the sleeve- and lapel buttonholes.
A tailor-made suit is likely to have a real sleeve and lapel buttonholes, whereas an off the rack suit will always have fake ones. However, remember that a tailored suit can also have fake buttonholes. It's about your taste and preference.
So why do you need real buttonholes, you may ask?
Back in the days, you needed real sleeve buttonholes to be able to roll up your sleeves for work, hence the name work and surgeon sleeves. This has changed, and now a day it’s more about style than anything else. Some stylists say you should, as with the suit jacket, leave one button unbuttoned. This is truly a matter of taste; some like the style, some do it to show the world they have a tailored made suit, and others think it is unnecessary and a way of "bragging". If you were to leave one button unbuttoned, it should be the button closest to the hand.
It's time you decide what kind of suit you want. Check our 3D designer and consider all the information you already have:
Do you still have questions? Take a look: