Single-Breasted vs Double-Breasted Jackets: Differences, Styles and Sewing Notes

Every jacket front has a center front line, the vertical line that runs down the middle of the body when the jacket is closed. On a single-breasted jacket the two fronts overlap only slightly beyond that line, just enough to carry a button and its buttonhole. The extension past center front is usually a little more than the radius of the button plus a small margin, so the button sits on center front with a comfortable edge of cloth beyond it.

A double-breasted jacket has a much wider overlap, often called the wrap. The front that sits on top crosses well over to the other side of the body, and the buttons are arranged in two vertical columns placed symmetrically on either side of center front. Because so much cloth crosses the chest, a double-breasted front reads broader and more solid, and the closing edge runs diagonally from the shoulder region down to the buttoning point rather than straight down the middle.

Men's jackets close left over right: the left front, with the buttonholes, laps over the right front, which carries the buttons. That convention holds for both styles.

The stance is the height of the button that is actually fastened. It decides how deep the V of the opening is and how long the lapel looks.

A one-button jacket has a low, open V and a long lapel, which is why it is the usual choice for dinner jackets. The two-button jacket is the everyday standard: the top button is fastened and the bottom one is left open, so the fronts can curve away below the waist. A three-button jacket has a higher opening and a shorter lapel; when the lapel is pressed to roll past the top button, the result is often called a three-roll-two, where the top buttonhole sits in the lapel roll and only the middle button is used.

Double-breasted fronts are described by two numbers: the total number of buttons, then how many of them can actually be fastened on the outer column. A 6x2 jacket has six buttons in three pairs, and two of them sit on the buttoning line of the outer front. The top pair is commonly placed slightly wider apart than the others, partly for balance and partly because the front edge travels outward toward the shoulder.

A 4x2 has four buttons in two pairs with the closing at the upper pair, giving a shorter, more compact look. A 6x1 has six buttons but only one functional fastening, usually at the lower pair, so the lapel runs long and low; the remaining rows are decorative. Whatever the layout, the underlapping front is held in place by an inside button, sometimes called a jigger or anchor button, so the hidden front does not drop or shift.

• 4x2: compact, upright look; works on shorter figures.
• 6x2: the classic double-breasted arrangement, buttoning at the middle or lower pair.
• 6x1: lower buttoning point and longer lapel line, with decorative upper rows.
• 2x1: a single fastening pair, seen on some dinner jackets and modern cuts.

Single-breasted jackets most often carry notch lapels, which suit business suits, blazers and sports jackets. Peak lapels on a single-breasted jacket push it toward formal territory, and the shawl collar appears almost exclusively on dinner jackets.

Double-breasted jackets traditionally take peak lapels, because the upward point follows the diagonal line of the wide front and balances the two button columns. Notch lapels on a double-breasted jacket exist and look a little softer and more relaxed. Our pattern 6021, a Double Breasted Peak Lapel Jacket, follows the classic combination, while 6073, a Double Breasted Notched Lapel Blazer, shows the alternative.

In terms of formality, a dark double-breasted suit reads as dressier than a single-breasted one of the same cloth, and a double-breasted navy blazer such as our pattern 6020, a Men's Double-Breasted Blazer, sits comfortably between business and smart casual. A double-breasted jacket is designed to be worn buttoned; open, the wide fronts hang loosely and lose their shape.

The extra cloth across the front of a double-breasted jacket emphasizes width through the chest. On a slim or tall frame that can be an advantage, adding presence. On a fuller figure, a well-fitted double-breasted jacket with a lower buttoning point and a long lapel line can still look excellent, because the diagonal edge creates a strong vertical; the problems come mainly when the jacket is cut too short or too tight across the waist, so the buttons pull.

Single-breasted jackets are the more adaptable choice. The deeper V of a two-button or one-button stance lengthens the torso visually and suits most proportions. Shorter men often benefit from a slightly higher buttoning point and a jacket length that just covers the seat, regardless of the number of buttons.

• Front edge: on a single-breasted jacket the edge runs roughly parallel to center front down to the buttoning point and then curves away into the quarters. On a double-breasted jacket the edge is set well outside center front and usually runs straight to a squarer hem corner.
• Facing: the double-breasted facing is much wider, because it has to back the whole overlap, the buttonholes of both columns and the lapel. Cut it generously and check that its inner edge clears the inside pocket.
• Buttonhole placement: horizontal buttonholes begin just beyond the button line toward the front edge, typically by about 2 to 3 mm, so the button settles on its marked line when the jacket is closed. On a single-breasted front that line is center front; on a double-breasted front it is the outer button column.
• Wrap width and canvas: the larger overlap of a double-breasted front needs the chest canvas and any front interfacing to extend into the wrap, otherwise the outer column of buttons sits on unsupported cloth.
• Underlap: on a double-breasted jacket, sew the inside anchor button and its buttonhole before the final fitting, so you can judge the hang of both fronts when closed.

The overlap and the buttoning point only look right when they sit at the correct height on the body and the fronts close without strain. In a standard size, a fuller chest or a longer back can push the buttoning point too high or make a double-breasted front gape at the wrap.

Minerva Patterns drafts each jacket pattern to the measurements you enter, so the front balance, overlap and button placement are generated for your figure rather than graded from a size chart, and there is no blending between sizes to do. You choose the format when ordering: PDF for A4, US Letter, A0 or a single long sheet, a projector file, PLT for a plotter, or DXF AAMA for pattern software, with or without seam allowances.