Why do so few women's tailored jackets have double vents?

As I step into the world of women's tailoring, I find more interesting aspects about it all the time. Namely, the common differences between it and men's tailoring.

Cordings offers one of the few brass-buttoned, single breasted navy blazers I've seen with double vents.

One of the accepted style choices in womenswear is notch lapels with a double breasted jacket, which to me simply looks wrong regardless of the body shape of the wearer. Peak lapels balance better with the wrap of a double breasted jacket. But what I see the least of is something I took for granted in men's suits since the late 2000s (around the time I started this blog): double vents.

To me, this Theory suit looks wrong no matter what.

Once in a while I'll see double vents on a women's double breasted jacket, as that was traditionally what was used by Savile Row tailors since it harmonizes better with the increased number of buttons. But even that is a rarity. Single vents seem to rule over women's tailored jackets almost exclusively.

A welcome reprieve from Polo.

The explanations I've seen for this vary, from claiming that double vents look more masculine to single vents harmonizing better with a woman's body. I don't really accept that, given the overall shape of a jacket is what makes it appear more feminine or masculine. Vent styles simply connote different things or have different functionality. For example, double vents allow you to reach into your trouser pockets easier and are the best choice for dinner suits because they look less sporty than a single vent. Additionally, they harmonize better with the wrap on the front of a double breasted jacket. Yet almost every example of the latter two made for women have single vents. Even dinner suits have single vents almost exclusively. One thing I'm beginning to see are longer, below hip jackets for women that have no vents at all, reminiscent of 1980s tailoring. Personally, I would find that more preferable on a dinner jacket or anything double breasted and have a single vent closed up on those. It does have the side effect of making it harder to move around and sit down in, however. (Women just can't have pockets or function because the fashion industry wants to sell us more fancy purses!)

This "menswear-inspired tuxedo" may as well be a black suit with silk facings considering the flapped pockets and single vent that make it less distinctly a dinner suit.

I got a couple of suits made for me over two years ago when I worked as a team lead for a made-to-measure showroom. We had just debuted the new women's fit and I was eager to be the first guinea pig. I got one suit with double vents, the other with a single vent. The latter is fine, but I definitely prefer the double vents. Not all of us are as discerning or in need of made-to-measure as I am—I am 6'1 and have broad shoulders, so like Karli Kloss things nearly always fit tight and short off the rack. Thankfully, Ralph Lauren also offers a few options off the rack if you're of the same mind as me about vents. Interestingly, half of them appear to be cropped (above hip length) when those could have no vent at all if desired. The shorter a jacket is, the less need there is for vents. I still like to have them, but that's a personal preference.

Two different Ralphie jackets with double vents. The one on the left benefits more from them and, in fact, should have longer ones to function better.

I am not entirely sure how this perception about women's tailoring and single vents started or why. Even my friend, a menswear expert, admits that a single vent simply looks more feminine to him based on what he's seen the most. While there are numerous assertions about what looks masculine or feminine, this is one area I don't really agree in since it makes no difference in the silhouette. If anything, I feel like a double vent that flares out towards the sides would help create more feminine lines. Additionally, a single vent isn't as harmonious with some styles or formality levels of tailoring. Fortunately, one can find women's tailoring with a double vent by searching hard enough or getting made-to-measure.

What kind of vents do you prefer on your tailored jackets or suits and why?