Jacket Venting

When looking around for a suit jacket, most men are only concerned with the detailing on the front of the jacket; the lapels, pocketing, number of buttons, and so on. But its important to pay attention to the back of the jacket too even though there is much less to consider here: the venting.

The vents on a jacket are the vertical slits in the fabric which run vertically from the bottom of the jacket to some designated amount of inches upward. Venting was added to jackets to increase mobility while horseback riding which allowed the jacket to fall neatly to each side of the rider without the jacket tail bunching up on the body. This increased the rider’s overall range of motion. While the vast majority of us don’t ride horses nowadays, venting still provides those same advantages to those who choose to wear them. In addition, with vents, you can more easily put your hands into your pockets or sit down without the fabric gathering or crinkling up.

Venting comes in 3 flavors: single vent (or center vent), double vents (or side vents), or no vent at all.

Single Vent

Also known as a center vent, which accurately describes its position on the jacket. Jackets with a single vent will split at the center and be pulled to one or both sides to relieve pressure on the fabric, depending on the motion the wearer is making. For instance, if the wearer puts his left hand in his trouser pocket, the vent will be pulled toward the left side. It will open up to both sides if he puts both hands in his pockets.

The single vent is more associated with American suiting. This is because single vents are cheaper and easier to make, which fits the criteria for the mass produced sack suits of the 50’s and 60’s in America. This is something we still haven’t quite gotten away from. The majority of retailers here still only sell single vented jackets off-the-rack (OTR) as their standard.

Note: Single vents are appropriate on any jacket used for casual or business wear.

Double Vents

Double vents are characterized by two vertical slits in the fabric, one on each side of the jacket. This style is typically associated with British tailoring. The largest advantages of the double vent over the single or vent-less jacket is that it will drape more neatly against your body if you choose to put your hands in your pockets or when sitting down. It causes the least amount of bunching up. As you can see from the picture, this sort of jacket will leave something of a duck tail over the wearer’s seat (their booty) even with hands in pockets.

Due to the reasons described earlier, this type of venting is usually not found on OTR jackets in America. If you see someone wearing one it is likely that their suit came from a higher end retailer or was custom made.

Note: Double vents are appropriate on any jacket used for casual or business wear.

No Vents

Traditionally, formal jackets like tuxedos and dinner jackets will be without vents. This creates a sleek and streamlined look, which is whole the purpose at the higher levels of formality, though it comes at the cost of some comfort and range of motion.

No vents are typically associated with Italian tailoring. The Italian style focuses on producing a more close fitting or slim physique. This is precisely the look that a jacket with no vent will help create.

Note: No venting would technically be appropriate on any jacket but, these days, vent-less jackets are typically your more formal tuxedo or dinner jackets.

Which Venting is Right for You?

For most men, there is no right or wrong answer here. It mostly depends on personal choice; your desire for a certain look or level of mobility. But body type may play a role here. Larger men, or men blessed with a larger behind, may choose to go with a single vent since vent-less will restrict mobility and a double vent may flare out in a way that is unflattering.

For mobility, vent-less jackets provide the smoothest and cleanest appearance but at the cost of range of motion while double vents will provide the highest range of motion.

In terms of formality, single and double vents are virtually the same, though some consider single vent to be a bit more casual. Either way, vent-less jackets are highest in formality.

Stylistically, double vents could be considered more fashion forward, since, at least in America, someone wearing them likely made the conscious choice to do so (despite potentially being seen as trendy, double vents are still a timeless choice and aren’t subject to the whims of changing fashions). Men newer to the style game may feel more comfortable with a single vent.

My personal choice and recommendation is the double vented jacket. Not only is it versatile in the aspect that its appropriate for all casual and business jackets but I also find it to be the most comfortable. It hangs more neatly when sitting down. It bunches up the least and it continues to cover your seat even when your hands are in your pockets. And despite the Marine Corps’ best efforts, my hands are in my pockets quite often.