Last month we talked about how small changes in the proportions of a double-breasted jacket can have a radical effect on its style - and therefore on the people or situations it suits. 

This week I've used five of my own jackets to demonstrate these differences.

It's tremendously helpful that tailors of most of the major tailoring styles have made DBs for me, so we can compare house cuts on the same body and figuration. 

I've also generally let the tailor cut his house style - so the proportions are representative of the house and local tradition, rather than any individual cutter. 

Below we have: Anderson & Sheppard (British drape), Henry Poole (British military), Elia Caliendo (Neapolitan), Ferdinando Caraceni (Milanese) and Cifonelli (Parisian). 

With each example, I have added six measurements to the images. This will hopefully help quantify the differences suggested by the photos. 

Those measurements are:

1. Length of the jacket (back seam from collar to bottom edge)
2. Height of the waist button (shoulder seam to centre of that waist button)
3. Height of the waist button proportionate to the length (2 divided by 1)
4. Overlap (width of the waist buttons)
5. Width of the lapel (from the edge to the roll, at the height of the gorge)
6. Belly of the lapel (draw a straight line from tip of lapel to turn at waist button; largest distance from that line to edge of the lapel)

There are of course many other measurements I could have included, such as the height of the gorge, the angle of the peak, and so on.

But these five describe perhaps the most important things to the style achieved by a DB - where the buttons are, how far apart they are, and what shape the lapel is. 

Henry Poole, London

1. Length: 32 inches - joint longest
2. Button height: 19.25 - joint lowest
3. Button height proportionately: 60%
4. Overlap: 3.75
5. Lapel width: 4.25
6. Lapel belly: 0.5

Ferdinando Caraceni, Milan

1. Length: 31.25
2. Button height: 17.5 
3. Button height proportionately: 56%
4. Overlap: 4.75 - widest
5. Lapel width: 4.75 - widest
6. Lapel belly: 0.75

Anderson & Sheppard, London

1. Length: 31.5
2. Button height: 19.25 - joint lowest
3. Button height proportionately: 61%
4. Overlap: 4.25
5. Lapel width: 4
6. Lapel belly: 1 - widest

Caliendo, Naples

1. Length: 30
2. Button height: 19
3. Button height proportionately: 63% - lowest
4. Overlap: 3.75
5. Lapel width: 4.25
6. Lapel belly: 0

Cifonelli, Paris

1. Length: 32 - joint longest
2. Button height: 19
3. Button height proportionately: 59%
4. Overlap: 4.5
5. Lapel width: 4.5
6. Lapel belly: 0.75

Interested in which proportions you prefer and why - though obviously they lose something in being on a mannequin, rather than the body they were cut for. 

Handkerchiefs shown are (from top):

• White linen from Anderson & Sheppard
• Multicoloured cotton from Simonnot-Godard
• Grey linen from Simonnot-Godard via Mes Chaussettes Rouges
• Green/white silk from Rampley & Co
• Pink silk from Kiton