Double-Breasted or Three-Piece?

The benchmark of classic double-breasted tailoring is the 6x2 arrangement: six front buttons on the chest with two functional working buttons below. Inside the coat, a hidden anchor button (known on Savile Row as the jigger button) secures the overlapping under-panel so the front edge never sags. In practice, most men fasten the middle waist button and leave the bottom button undone for a longer sweep over the hips, or fasten both for a crisper military line.

Everything hinges on the height of that waist button and the angle of the peak lapels. Off-the-rack double-breasted jackets often place the button stance too high, making the torso look boxy. Drafting the coat to your measurements places the pivot point directly at your natural waist, letting the long diagonal lapel line draw the eye outward toward the shoulders. You can select a 6x2 double-breasted cut on all 23 cloths in our configurator at no surcharge, with Navy Check, Grey Check, Beige Melange, and Dark Brown Melange standing out.

The golden rule of a three-piece suit is the meeting point between waistcoat length and trouser rise. The waistcoat must cover the trouser waistband completely so that not a millimeter of shirt fabric shows between vest and trousers when you move. With off-the-rack low-rise trousers, waistcoats almost always fall short. Because both your suit and waistcoat (The Custom Vest, from 1,149 DKK) are cut from the same digital measurement profile, waistcoat length and trouser rise meet seamlessly.

For the same reason, a waistcoat is rarely worn beneath a double-breasted jacket: since a double-breasted coat stays buttoned while standing, the vest remains hidden and adds unnecessary bulk. Pair your waistcoat instead with a single-breasted jacket (with either Notch or Peak lapels), and follow the tradition set by King Edward VII of leaving the bottom waistcoat button unfastened so the front drapes cleanly when seated. When jackets come off late in the evening, your silhouette stays just as sharp.