Single breasted peak lapel

[BellyTank]

I'm not so sure...

You mean the buttons(of a single) have been moved outboard to accomodate a smaller fitting..?

The symmetry is still there- if the jacket had been off-set, the gorge would look a bit off and the whole left side pulled around to the front- there is definitely more 'jacket' on the left than the right.

The overlap is minimal compered to a full DB- try imagining another set of buttons- there's not enough width to fit em... innit.

B
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[herringbonekid]

no the opposite.... i think they've moved the button positions of a double breasted inward to accomodate extra girth, and snipped of the non-functioning buttons.

innit.

 

[BellyTank]

Hmmm...
I would think that either way, it would screw up the look and fit, especially because it's such a fitted style. Maybe, if it was altered professionally...

But you could be right 'kid.

B
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[herringbonekid]

i've certainly never seen any old photos or ads with an in-between position like that, have you ?

 

[BellyTank]

Ope-nay.

Just a puzzle posed.

Ebay
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[Baron Kurtz]

Was gonna go for that one just because it looked so weird ... Alas, something else got in the way.

Like BTank, i was convinced that this button placement was original (the gorge looks too "correct" to be moved buttons). I've recently moved the buttons on a DB back to where they should have been - someone had done what HBK proposes. For a good example, see Chavalier's recent 20s suit resurretion post. Before my alteration, it didn't look like the one pictured. It was wrong all over. The left hip pocket was moved around to the back. Whereas this one looks right.

I'd like to have been a fly on the wall when the coustomer was arguing this one with his tailor ...

bk

 

[Mr. Rover]

I showed that suit to Matt Deckard when I first found it- man, what a crazy lookin' thing!
I think it might be considered double-breasted because the ends are squared off at the overlap- I know that this look was in for regular single breasted suits for a bit but usually they have that cut-away effect, right?
The problem is if someone bought it, you couldn't be able to alter it to become single breasted or double breasted...you'd always have that 1.5 breasted jacket. The balance would just get thrown off, I think, if you tried to change it.

 

[Wild Root]

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That's a double breasted coat with the buttons moved. If it was a single the bottom of the coat would taper or be rounded a little… it also has a button hole on each lapel, (Double breasted detail) also, I can see that it could be moved in a few more inches before it would hit the pocket… I’ve seen double breasted coats turned into single breasted suits before… the gorge is balanced if done right and I’ve seen this a few times… the original owner was too cheep to buy a new suit when he gained weight so, he just moved the buttons out.

Marc, what do you think?

=WR=

 

[Matt Jones]

That's a double breasted coat with the buttons moved.

I agree.

Also, you can see how the gorge is skewed off to the side and does not form a perfect symmetrical "V" shape. The buttons are not where they were designed to be.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

… it also has a button hole on each lapel, (Double breasted detail)

Beat me to it! After taking another look i note that this is correct. And that the gorge isn't quite so perfect as i thought on first inspection ...

bk

 

[BellyTank]

Well this certainly has created a stir...

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[herringbonekid]

the gorge isn't off centre. you're all seeing things now. the tie is slightly skewed making it look off centre. a DB jacket has equal weight left and right so opening out the middle wouldn't throw it one way or the other. it would remain symmetrical. if the non-functioning buttons were replaced they would look too close together as on Marc's 30s suit that he restored. the reason this jacket is confusing people is because the pockets haven't moved to the sides quite as much as one would expect. but it hasn't been opened out THAT much. just a couple a inches. phew.

 

[BellyTank]

Yep- the gorge is gorgeous and the pockets are good-

Sneaky one-

B
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[herringbonekid]

right... who's gonna be man enough to BUY it ?

 

[Wild Root]

Now, to settle this, some one should ask the seller if there are two button holes on the other side that isn't showing... if there is one or two button holes then, you'll know it's a double breasted! Herringbonekid nailed it, DB's can be taken in evenly with out throwing off the proportion of the coat. Now, the opening or "Gorge" looks a little wide, also, the space between the flap and the pocket varies from size to size, I could see it going in at least another two inches and closing the opening a little, for me this just shouts DB.

Some one send me the auction number and I'll send a message to the seller and I'll find out the info to identify this coat.

=WR=

 

[Baron Kurtz]

right... who's gonna be man enough to BUY it ?

Well, had the dollar not just crashed i'd buy it ... but the dollar has just crashed against sterling (fortunately after i'd paid for an linen jacket), so - NO! Not I ...

bk

 

[Mr. Rover]

You had better post pics of that jacket when you get it, "Robber" Baron Kurtz!
The suit happens to be in my size, but I probably would never wear it.

ray

 

[Wild Root]

Buy it and move the buttons in... it's a sharp coat when it goes back to a DB!

=WR=

 

[Wild Root]

Ok, try this on for size!

Here is what I see this coat being...

Notice how it's still ballanced and porportioned correctly. This is a great coat only if it goes back to what it was born to be... a DB!

=WR=

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Wild Root is 100% correct. That jacket started life as a double-breasted model, and at some point its owner gained weight and decided to remove some buttons, "making" it single-breasted. I've seen this time and time again. There's no mystery to it.

By putting back the missing buttons, you can change it back from "single"-breasted to double-breasted. Doing so will reduce the jacket by about two sizes ... but if you happen to be that small, you'll have a great (restored) jacket. That said, there is no way I'd wear that jacket as it is now.