CollarThe band round the neck. The lapels run into it at the notch.
LapelThe flap folded back below the collar each side of the front. This one is notched, the most common kind; the others are peaked and shawl.
SleeveThe arms of the jacket, usually sewn closed at the cuff.
Breast pocketThe pocket on the left of the chest. For a pocket square or handkerchief.
Flap pocketsThe two main outer pockets, here with flaps over them. Others are patch or jetted pockets.
Front buttonsThis single-breasted jacket has two. By custom the bottom button is left undone.
Collar and lapels 2
Notch (gorge)The step where the collar meets the lapel. The gorge is the seam and point that form it.
Lapel buttonholeA buttonhole in the left lapel, for a boutonnière (a flower).
Pockets 1
Ticket pocketA small fourth pocket above the right pocket, about half as wide.
Sleeves, buttons and vent 3
ShoulderThe shoulders, shaped so the jacket hangs from them without wrinkles.
Cuff buttonsUsually three or four buttons per cuff, often only for show.
VentA slit up from the hem, here one at the center back. Jackets also come with two or none.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-27. (1) Wikipedia, Suit (clothing), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suit_(clothing) , the Jacket section: most single-breasted jackets have two or three front buttons, and on two-button suits the bottom button is by tradition left undone; lapels notched (stepped), peaked or shawl, the gorge being the point that forms the notch or peak between collar and lapel; a lapel buttonhole for a boutonnière; a breast pocket usually on the left, for a pocket square or handkerchief; two main outer pockets, patch, flap or jetted, and sometimes a ticket pocket just above the right pocket, roughly half as wide; three or four buttons on each cuff, often decorative, the sleeve usually sewn closed; single, double or no vents; shoulders shaped to drape without wrinkles. (2) Wikipedia, Lapel, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapel : the lapel is a flap of cloth folded back on a jacket's front below the collar; notched, peaked and shawl; on single-breasted jackets the left lapel carries a buttonhole for a boutonnière. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The parts of a single-breasted tailored jacket, the cut of a blazer or suit jacket, with its back drawn small for the vent. Start with the 6 main parts, then the lapels, pockets and sleeves.
Read the full guide
Collar and lapels
The collar runs round the neck into the lapels, the flaps folded back down the front. Where they meet is the notch; the gorge is the seam and point that make it. The left lapel carries a buttonhole for a flower.
Pockets and buttons
A breast pocket sits on the left of the chest, two main pockets below, and sometimes a small ticket pocket above the right one. The front closes with two or three buttons, and each cuff has three or four.
On a two-button jacket the bottom button is left undone by custom.
Questions and answers
What is the notch on a jacket?
The step where the collar meets the lapel. The point that forms it is called the gorge; a jacket with this step has notched lapels, the most common kind.
What is the small pocket above the jacket pocket called?
A ticket pocket: a small fourth pocket just above the right-hand pocket, about half as wide.
What is the slit at the back of a jacket called?
The vent. A jacket can have one at the centre back, two at the sides, or none.