Double-Breasted Blazer

A double-breasted front overlaps rather than meeting edge to edge, and that extra layer of fabric across the chest is what gives the style its breadth and its formality. The rule that follows is unforgiving: the jacket is cut to be worn closed, and hanging open it loses its shape entirely and the loose panel swings. Choose double-breasted when the jacket will stay buttoned through the occasion, and choose a single-breasted cut when you know you will want it open by the second hour.