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Style Consequences of Buttoning the Top Button of Your Shirt

A Surprisingly Complex Decision

Michael Filimowicz, PhD
AI and Men’s Fashion
3 min readFeb 26, 2024

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Gentlemen, gather around. Today, we delve into one of the most nuanced and critical decisions in the realm of men’s fashion: to button or not to button the top button of your shirt. This seemingly trivial choice is, in fact, a sartorial Rubik’s Cube that can dictate whether you’re perceived as the embodiment of suave or the poster child for the socially inept.

When donning a tie, the decision is a no-brainer; the top button must be secured, lest you look like you’re suffocating in a textile stranglehold. But strip away the tie, and you’re in the Wild West of style choices, where the line between ‘chic’ and ‘eek’ is perilously thin.

The Uptight vs. The Laid-Back

Buttoning up completely can catapult you into the realm of the overly meticulous, where you’re perceived as a walking, talking instruction manual. It screams, “I alphabetize my cereal boxes!” Yet, there’s a flip side. Leave that button undone, and you might be treading the fine line between relaxed and sloppy, a laissez-faire look that says, “I may or may not own an iron.”

The Hairy Dilemma

Now, let’s talk chest hair. If you’re sporting a mane that would make a werewolf jealous, that top button becomes a gatekeeper, preventing your chest foliage from making an unscheduled appearance. But too much liberation, and you risk looking like a 70s disco reject or, worse, someone who’s lost a bet with a barber.

The Trust Factor

And who knew that your trustworthiness could hinge on a button? Too much chest on display, and you might as well wear a sign that says, “I’m probably going to sell your email address to a spammer.” But go full button-up, and you’re suddenly a candidate for the “Most Likely to Calculate Your Taxes” award.

Fashion’s Fix: Zippers and Drawstrings

So, how do we navigate this sartorial minefield? Enter the innovative minds of fashion designers, who’ve pondered this conundrum over their espressos and sketchpads. One proposed solution is the introduction of a short zipper strip, a sort of precision control for your chest display. But beware the zipper’s teeth, notorious for their appetite for chest hair — a painful price for fashion.

Alternatively, there’s the drawstring option, a nod to the hoodies of our youth, offering a customizable chest reveal without the risk of a hair-tangling catastrophe. Yet, one can’t help but wonder, does fiddling with a drawstring betray a lack of decisiveness? “Wait a moment, just adjusting my chest exposure,” said no action hero ever.

The Verdict

In the end, whether to button or not to button the top button remains a personal and strategic choice, a balancing act between too much skin, too little trust, and just the right amount of hair. As we navigate this wardrobe quagmire, let’s remember that sometimes, the best style statement we can make is one of confidence, whether we’re buttoned up to the neck or letting it all hang loose (within reason, of course).

So, gentlemen, next time you stand before the mirror, button in hand, remember: you’re not just deciding on your outfit — you’re defining your legacy. Choose wisely.

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