How to Wear a Tailored Jacket: Rules & Etiquette Guide
When we are talking about statement jackets and ever-lasting style, we would like to think our made to order, silk lined tailored jackets collection covers all bases. Our jacketing range features fabrics from the world-renowned Scabal while also allowing you the unique feature of being able to choose your own fine art silk lining. With all this being said, we wanted to give you an insight and guide into the different components which make up a standard menswear jacket, whilst also offering some creative ways to wear & style. Below we will cover...
- What is the proper etiquette while wearing a tailored jacket?
- What should you not do while wearing a jacket?
- What are bespoke linings, and how can they add to your jacket?
- Ways to wear a tailored jacket for any occasion.
View our Made to Order : Tailored Jackets
JACKET LAPELS
What is a jacket lapel style? And which is best for each occasion? Below we run through the three most comment lapel types you can find on a tailored jacket.
NOTCHED
Our tailored jackets collection is notch lapel by standard as we feel this is the most timeless and versatile lapel type across menswear to your any occasion. Lapel styles are determined by how the gorge is treated, by the gorge, we are referring to the point at which the jacket’s collar and lapel meet. As portrayed in some of our collection images below, a 90-degree opening cut characterises Notch or ’Stepped' lapels into where the low end of the jacket’s collar meets the upper end of its lapel.
SHAWL
Notch lapels have an open gorge, but shawl lapels don’t have a gorge at all. The collar and lapel are all one piece, so this is often referred to as a shawl collar. Shawl collars are typically associated with formal and black tie attire or a smoking jacket, while plush velvets or black twills are commonly associated fabrics. The shawl collar can be worn with either single or double-breasted jackets.
PEAKED
A peaked lapel has much less space vs a notched (if any), and the lapel juts outward and upward toward the shoulder, extending past the collar itself. Peak (or point lapels) are the dressiest and most flamboyant type of lapel, characterised by a closed gorge and a lapel that points upwards towards the shoulder; they’re standard on double-breasted suits & common on tuxedo jackets.
Source: English For Tailors
BUTTON STYLES
What are the differences between a single-breasted vs a double-breasted jacket? Single-breasted suit jackets have one row of buttons to the front. In a double-breasted jacket, the front is cut to overlap in order to accommodate a double row of buttons.
SINGLE VS DOUBLE BREASTED
Often a debate within the tailoring word, what is better a single vs double-breasted jacket? The single-breasted such as our Rampley & Co tailored jackets are sleek, modern and stylish, whereas the double-breasted ones are classic, vintage and elegant. So both have their benefits and unique styles.
SINGLE BREASTED
All our tailored jackets at Rampley & Co are single-breasted (or SB for short). Offering a classic and simplified look, letting our fabrics and quality silk fine art linings be prominent. SB jackets typically have one column of buttons and a narrow overlap of fabric. In contrast, a double-breasted coat has a wider overlap and two parallel rows of buttons. Single-breasted suit jackets and blazers typically have two or three buttons (jackets with one or four buttons are less common) and a notch lapel.
DOUBLE BREASTED
We can offer bespoke options in all our jackets if you want to opt for the ultra-modern and sharp double-breasted look. You can opt for 2,4, or even 6 buttons in a DB style. With 4 buttons being the most common choice. 2 buttons double-breasted are super formal and more related to tuxedo jackets. In comparison, 6 buttons is the bolder option giving you a more fashion statement look.
How to wear a double-breasted jacket?
1. Choose your fabric and cut - the narrower the cut in shape, the sharper your look and silhouette will look.
2. Keep the rest of your outfit minimal - opting for a DB jacket will give you a stand out statement look, especially if you also have a peak lapel. Keep the shirt plain and crisp and tonal accessories/ties to match.
3. Only fasten one button - That’s the middle one on six-buttoned suits and the top one on four-buttoned suits. Keep it fastened all the time, or at least until you sit down.
KISSING BUTTONS
So what about kissing buttons? The kissing buttons are buttons across the sleeve and cuff edge of your jacket that touch slightly instead of being spaced apart and come as standard with all our jackets. There is also the term, stacked or ‘waterfall’ buttons, which are a kissing button that slightly overlaps one another.
STYLING & FIT
When browsing our tailored jackets you may be considering the styling and fit type to chose. Below we have listed three of our best and essential styling rules for wearing your jacket.
1. Employ different colours, fabrics & patterns
Be playful and bold in your fabric, colour and pattern choice. We see sartorial elegance as a creative way to dress up your style. Try out vibrant block colour jackets, classic patterns like stripes and some of our heritage checks. If your jacket is your statement piece (especially with our silk linings), ensure the rest of the outfit build is complimentary and takes second place to your jacket.
2. Always have more than one in your wardrobe
Your jacket collection is a chance to try out all kinds of different styles, fabrics and fits. You need to ensure you have all the jacket dressing events covered; black tie, wedding, casual dinners and so on.
3. Your shirt can dress up or down your jacket
The shirt under your jacket is key to how you want to style the outfit and the end use to portray it. We even see t-shirts come through as a valid smart/casual dress option. We suggest to opt for an Oxford or twill shirt underneath if you want a more casual look, as the open weaves give a textured and softer appeal. For smart events and occasions, go for smarter fabrics such as sateen or silks.
SIZING
Rampley follows traditional menswear with our standard sizing and classic cut using chest inch measurements as a size guide for your perfect jacket fit. As a basic rule, a medium male is around 40-42 UK chest inches; you can measure your chest using a standard tape measure around the centre of your chest and ribcage.
Chest sizes across European and the US are the same, but the rule is to plus ten, e.g. 40 chest UK would be 50 chest EU/US. If you are ever in doubt between two certain sizes, we would recommend to size up to the larger size as all our jackets are made to order and bespoke under specific size grading rules to ensure the perfect fit. These details are more are all listed on our product pages and size dropdown if you ever get stuck or need further guidance.
SLIM VS REGULAR
We offer our tailored jackets across two core fits in our modern classic cut; slim and regular. People often ask, what’s the difference between a slim and regular fit jacket?
Slim fit jackets are cut closer to the body and fitted more to the silhouette. While not restrictive, slim fit is more narrow and has a tighter fit in the jacket’s arms, waist and chest area, so it should be considered. The slim fit will give a tighter and narrower overall appearance.
Regular fit is cut loose around the body and is more relaxed through the arms and chest, offering a slightly more draped look. However, it’s essential still to remember a regular fit jacket is cut impeccably to fit your body.
SILK JACKET LININGS
What makes Rampley tailored jackets so special? It has to be our truly unique and exquisite fine art silk linings, which come as standard in all our made to order jackets. Some of our silk jacket linings feature some stunning works from masters such as Canaletto, Giordano, Turner and Ruben, to name a few, simply select or browse your favourite artist on-site when purchasing your order.
If you would like us to create a bespoke printed art silk lining for you, we would love to assist you. We are internally able to reproduce any image or design through our bespoke printing process to the same standard as the original work.
With our Rampley & Co tailored collection jackets, we always use three lining panels per jacket. This allows our tailors to recreate as much of the scene as possible and will enable us to match it up accurately along the jacket seams. The back seam is particularly tricky, but the use of multiple panels means the image matches whilst also including an allowance for the lining to move within the fabric as it’s worn. It’s fair to say there are often some quite technical challenges that go into creating the final product!
If you’d like more information on our bespoke jackets, please get in touch for further details: bespoke@rampleyandco.com
How many panels of the fine art linings are required per jacket?
There are no set rules with how our linings can be used and we've found tailors have been highly creative with how they are cropped and inserted into different jackets.
With our fine art panels, the most popular option has been to use two per jacket. This enables you more creative control on which part of the image to show as the focal point whilst also allowing the tailor to line up the main section along the back seam. However, below are some recommendations based on our experience with tailors and the community around the world so far:
One Panel
Key elements of the image can be featured on different sections of the jacket lining, such as the back and side panels. Difficult to line up the image along the back seam due to a need for seam allowance in this area.
Two Panels
This allows the image to be lined up through the centre seam and is perfect for linings that feature a large central image.
Three Panels
This allows for a more complete recreation of the image, with the key elements of the painting being able to be joined up through the back and side panels to create a truly stunning impact. This is ideal for more complex works or artwork that has that extra special meaning.
One Panel
Two Panels
Three Panels
TYPES OF FABRICS USED ON TAILORED JACKETS
All of our tailored jackets use 100% wool or cashmere as standard as we believe this is the highest and evergreen product to suit our communities needs. Below we look at the other commonly used fabric types across tailoring and jackets.
COTTON
Cotton jackets are the most versatile fabric for all year round use. The lightweight fabric has a draped feel for a true casual look. This material is easy to dress up or down as cotton fabrics are breathable and easy to care for. Be sure to look out for organic cotton for the highest standard make material.
LINEN
Linen fabric is incredibly lightweight and cool and the perfect summer weave for a tailored jacket. Linen is ideally suited to casual, unstructured jackets and usually worn with chino shorts or trousers in cool light colours such as creams and blues.
TWEED
Tweed is a heavyweight fabric that is also best saved for cold weather. Tweed is practical but still a stylish way to keep warm in the winter. It adds textures and hairiness to your outfit that is traditional with an English heritage look—often seen in brown/caramel and grey hues.
WOOL
Our favourite fabric and what you will find in most of our tailored jackets collection is wool, specifically our superfine merinos or cashmere. Wool fabrics are usually rich in fibres and textures, given warmth to the fabric base. A navy wool blazer is an ultimate classic, but it’s certainly not your only option. Wool can also be blended with high-end fabrics like cashmere and silk for new blends and hand feels.
SCABAL FABRIC
The world-renowned Scabal, with its home at No.12 Savile Row, is the natural choice to provide the highest quality fabrics for our jacketing range. Tracing the history of their original mill back to 1539, they have mastered the skill and craft required to produce rare and elite cloth. It was an easy choice to work with them on our jacketing collection, a true gathering of like-minded individuals with the sole aim of producing outstanding jackets of the highest quality.
With their mills, set in the glorious hills of Huddersfield, they have perfect atmospheric conditions to nurture the cloth and create rare fibres. Alongside this, the fabrics and cloths have great stability and recovery performance, and we can produce garments that will stand the test of time. Knowing their beautiful elite yarns and the fine details and workmanship of the fabrics, Scabal fully reflects our brand values on quality, design and sustainability.
All our Scabal jacketing offers you the most definitive choice with its large selection of colours, designs and interesting checks, all with the Scabal Bloom finish which adds a subtle lustre to each cloth to enhance the hue levels. At Scabal, everything begins with cloth, and for over 80 years they have stood at the forefront of innovation and sophistication in weaving. At present, their unique and inspired cloths can be found in over 75 countries worldwide.
CONCLUSION
Now you have read through our ultimate guide to the tailored jacket, you should be well equipped to start making informed purchasing decisions for your next sartorial solution. All our jackets, whether bespoke or not, are made to order by our skilled London based Saville Row tailors, meaning each jacket takes around 5 weeks to produce.
We have our collection jackets below that have standard sizing and features, but for all our bespoke jackets they can be adjusted to your own comforts & wishes, whether that be peaked lapels, alternative pockets, three buttons on the cuff rather than four, we can work with a variety of options to suit your needs.