Quote:
Originally Posted by camhabib 
sh0ebox, last buttons are usually left undone on jackets to prevent pulling when sitting down (I believe). I could be wrong for the reason, but they're definitely left unbuttoned.
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Close. King Edward VII is the source of this custom. Since he was a relatively hefty fellow, he started leaving his bottom button undone to keep his jacket from pulling. Eventually, all his underlings started doing the same (kind of sounds like HF to me).
However, that rule only applied to jackets worn indoors and did not carry over to topcoats/other outerwear.
And just for the sake of mentioning it, if that was double-breasted sportcoat or suit jacket, there is no unanimous rule for which buttons, if any, to leave undone - only, of course, that the jacket is not left open.