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Updated Oct 14, 2024The 10 Best Double-Breasted Suits for Your Wedding
Double-breasted suits are having a moment - here's everything you need to know to pick up one for your next wedding.
Growing up, my impression of double-breasted suits was always a stuffy one. Those weren't for cool, keyed-in guys who kept up with modern menswear. They were for Wall Street dudes in the '80s and stuffy Saville Row Brits. I've spent the years since eating my words. Not only are double-breasted suits anything but stuffy, they're also very much having a moment these days. From red carpets to weddings, everyone seems to be giving the double-breasted suit a try. I've come around as well. In fact, these days I own more double-breasted suits than I do single-breasted. Contrary to popular belief, they're as versatile as their single-button counterparts and can be styled for any occasion. If you're thinking of trying one out at your next wedding or just looking for advice on how to best style one, read on–for everything you need to get suited up.
In this article:
- Now Trending: Double-Breasted Suits
- How To Wear a Double-Breasted Suit
- Shop Now: Top 10 Double-Breasted Suits for Grooms & Guests
- Where to Buy Double-Breasted Suits
Now Trending: Double-Breasted Suits
Like many trends, it's hard to identify the origin point for the resurgence of the double-breasted suit. It's even harder when you consider they never went away. Double-breasted suits aren't quick-burn bads like JNCO jeans or Ed Hardy tee shirts; they've always been around and always will be. That said, we've definitely seen their popularity rise lately, making them a more of a go-to pick for people looking to suit up. They're very much staples of 70s and 80s fashion. With both decades seeing a significant resurgence in popularity, the double-breasted suit has come along for the ride. Suits in general have seen a post-pandemic resurgence, with folks eager to find any excuse to ditch their sweats in favor of a dressed up look. Enter the double-breasted suit.
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Photo: JACKSON WEDDING STUDIOS
How To Wear a Double-Breasted Suit
With its (false) reputation as a more formal suiting option, you may be under the impression that there's a specific way to wear a double-breasted suit or at least a specific sort of event for which it's appropriate. Fortunately, it's not that serious or complicated. Double-breasted suits can easily be dressed up or down. For a more formal take on a double-breasted suit, pair with a proper shirt and tie combination.. Or you can lean into their 70s heyday and pair them with denim shirts or turtleneck sweaters. A dress shirt can be left unbuttoned and worn without a tie. You can even couple a double-breasted suit with a nice solid-colored tee shirt and go full Miami Vice. Today's cuts are a far cry from the pinstriped and shoulder-padded ones that Wall Street guys made famous.. These days they're whatever you want them to be.
As far as weddings go, this anything-goes mentality still applies. Double-breasted suits don't adhere to any particular dress code, nor are there any rules surrounding whether or not guests should wear them or leave them to the groom(s). It is, again, much more about how the suit is styled. You can make one work at a wedding with a cocktail attire dress code or a dressy-casual one. There are even double-breasted tuxes for black tie affairs. It all comes down to how you wear it.
How to Button a Double-Breasted Suit
To properly button a double-breasted suit, pull the left side of the suit (or whichever has buttonholes) across to the right side. Traditionally you button the second button up from the bottom row. For a slightly more laid-back look, secure the button on the bottom. If you're wearing a three-button double-breasted suit, the top button should never be fastened.
Shop Now: Top 10 Double-Breasted Suits for Grooms & Guests
Whether you're looking to dress them up or down, here are some personal favorite double-breasted suits you can shop now.
Suitsupply Havana Suit
Photo: Suitsupply
The Suitsupply Havana suit remains the gold standard for easy, accessible double-breasted suiting. This particular version comes in a beautiful lightweight cotton but they make it in a wide array of colors and fabrics. It's the perfect first double-breasted suit or new addition to a well-worn arsenal.
Todd Snyder Italian Double-Breasted Tuxedo
Photo: Todd Snyder
Double-breasted tuxedos aren't the most common, but they're far from a fashion faux-pas–especially when they're made by Todd Snyder, one of the hottest names in American menswear for a reason. Their take on the double-breasted tux is sleek and simple, the sort of wedding look you don't have to put any effort into in order to look your best while wearing it.
Spier & MacKay Minnis Brown Prince of Wales Check Suit
Photo: Spier & MacKay
Versatility is certainly a benefit to a double-breasted suit, but you can also lean all the way into their tradition as a piece of formalwear. If that's your goal, check out Spier & MacKay's stunning Minnis suit. The brand makes British tailoring available to the masses at accessible prices. This Prince of Wales check double-breasted suit will have you looking like royalty.
Hawes & Curtis 1913 Navy Tailored Suit
Photo: Hawes & Curtis
Hawes & Curtis's simple 1913 navy double-breasted suit is pared-down classicism at its finest. The navy linen suit can be dressed up or dressed down with ease. Wear it to the wedding and then to the office the following week (just be sure to get it dry cleaned first).
Banana Republic Gavin Italian Linen Suit
Photo: Banana Republic
One of the highlights of Banana Republic's 2022 rebrand was their suiting and the Gavin is among the best they have to offer right now. Cut from a flowy linen and with trendy fabric buttons, it's the perfect summer wedding suit for any dress code.
Husbands Paris Double-Breasted Wool & Mohair Suit
Photo: Husbands Paris
Husbands Paris has become the toast of the menswear world for a reason. Their take on suiting is at once trendy and vintage with a touch of mid-aughts indie rock cool-guy cred. This double-breasted suit from their latest collection is as great a testament to their ethos as anything, featuring a beautiful wool and mohair blend, wide-cut trousers and unconventional notch lapels (most double-breasted suits feature peaks).
Proper Cloth Irish Linen Bedford Suit
Photo: Proper Cloth
Go big or go home. An all-white suit is a big suiting choice but it's one worth making, especially when that all-white suit is Proper Cloth's Bedford. It's got big lapels and a breathable linen blend, the sort of combination that will have you looking hot while staying cool at a summer wedding.
Ralph Lauren Purple Label Kent Hand-Tailored Plaid Wool Tweed Suit
Photo: Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren's Purple Label is the cream of the brand's proverbial crop, the absolute best they have to offer in tailoring. The Kent suit highlights why—he wool tweed is of the highest quality, the cut of the suit is timeless, and the rich light brown is perfect for spring and fall alike.
Reiss Riva Double-Breasted Suit
Photo: Reiss
Reiss's double-breasted suit is another one of those pieces you buy for a wedding and then find yourself wearing again and again. It's a slimmer-fit suit from a versatile wool-linen blend, making it adaptable to changing seasons. Plus the rich sage green color will help you stand out in a sea of black, navy, and grey.
Giuliva Heritage David Blazer & Umberto Trousers
Photo: Giuliva Heritage
Giuliva Heritage has cemented itself as one of the hottest brands in menswear largely thanks to its tailoring, which draws from the grooviest of 1970s suiting. Thick lapels, rich colors, and wider proportions rule the line's suits, with the David blazer and Umberto trousers standing as a fine example of what they're capable of. Break out some moves like Jagger at the reception and look every bit the part with this number.
Where to Buy Double-Breasted Suits
Suitsupply - $
Suitsupply tends to be the first place I recommend anybody looking for a wedding suit go to, but their double-breasted suits are especially spectacular. From the aforementioned Havana suit to a number of other great styles (plus a full made-to-measure service) they're the easiest place to get a great double-breasted suit that fits well (they stock a wide range of sizing) for under $1000.
Todd Snyder - $$
The go-to brand for modern Americana, as it turns out, cuts a mean double-breasted suit. Their Wythe suit is a reliable standard, but don't sleep on their made-to-measure service either.
Giuliva Heritage - $$$
A favorite of celebrities on the red carpet these days, Giuliva Heritage's takes on old-school 70s suiting with classic Italian tailoring and flair makes for some of the best suits on the market, period. Their double-breasted suits are among the best they, and anyone else in the industry, have to offer. They're an investment, but one that'll be paying itself off at weddings, parties, and formal events for years to come.
