Ask Andy About Clothes

For those who would like more information on how to dress along the lines of Jeff Tucker’s article, check out Ask Andy About Clothes. His advice is given in just the way men need it. For example, rather than just saying “don’t wear a red shirt and orange tie… Trust me”, he explains why certain colors go together and others don’t. He also loves to explain the history behind fashion rules, like this from his “Ten Most Common Men’s Fashion Mistakes“:

Why do men never button the bottom button of your suit, sports jacket, vest or Cardigan sweater?

King Edward VII, “Bertie”, son of Victoria (1841 – 1910, King 1901 – 1910) was so heavy that he could not get the bottom button fastened on his vest or to be more historically kind, maybe he just forgot. His subjects taking it as a fashion statement followed his lead and today most men’s suits, sports jackets or vests are not designed to button the bottom button.
The tradition of not buttoning the bottom button may have also come from the early waistcoats, which were very long. It may have been out of necessity of being able to walk that the bottom buttons were left undone.

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5:17 pm on August 5, 2003