Have you ever wondered what 4 buttons do on the sleeves of a jacket or a classic suit? Obviously, one or two buttons would be enough. But why today suits are sewn in 90% of cases with 4? There are several stories and events in this regard, which we will consider below.
Story 1.
In an era when traditions and standards of classic men's clothing began to form, tailors tried to somehow distinguish elite expensive suits among all others. No one knows for sure why exactly 4 buttons have come to mean the highest quality of a tailor's product. Nevertheless, it is just so many buttons that the masters from London have taught the whole world to sew.
Story 2.
During the 17th and 18th centuries in advanced Europe, the sleeve served as a handkerchief. Probably, it was undesirable to get the dress uniforms or suits dirty, so the sleeve had to somehow be unbuttoned and rolled up so that the shirt sleeve was exposed. Just like that, a row of buttons appeared on the sleeve, which was convenient to unbutton in order to wipe the nose without getting the tunic dirty.
Story 3.
In the Victorian era, doctors did not wear white coats, but the usual dress of the time. It is said that one of the doctors asked to make an incision in the sleeve so that it would be convenient to work while rolling up the sleeves. A button was sewn to the cut and thus a new functional element of the classic men's suit appeared.
Looking at these stories, one thing is clear – everything is aimed at convenience and the need to roll up your sleeves from time to time. However, many suits are made without 'work' sleeves, i.e. there are buttons, but there is no slit on the sleeves. Previously, low-quality suits stood out as such 'hack-work'. However, today, even very expensive products can be without cuts. Everything comes from the traditions of this or that fashion house that sews costumes.
Regardless of the number and function of the buttons, they should be close to each other. On some models, the buttons even overlap. At the same time, in one and in the other case, the extreme buttons should be at a distance of no more than 1.5 – 2 cm from the edge of the sleeve.
By the way, some people believe that the most extreme button can be unbuttoned, like the last button on the front of a jacket. This is true if the manufacturer has specially highlighted the cut for the button with a colored edging. But this is not at all necessary.
