buttoned-down
Prim and proper
Buttoned-down describes a conventional, conservative style—especially in business or professional settings.
A buttoned-down executive follows established norms; a buttoned-down law firm projects traditional respectability.
The term comes from button-down collars, associated with preppy, establishment dress.
Sometimes hyphenated as buttoned down or written as one word.
Following long-held customs
- conventionalFollowing accepted practices
- strait-lacedExcessively proper and strict
- uptightAnxiously rigid in manner
- conformistOne following accepted norms
establishment · corporate · mainstream · orthodox · proper · respectable · straight-arrow · by-the-book
Neck encirclement
- oxfordClosed-lacing dress shoe
- blazerSemiformal tailored jacket
- necktieKnotted collar ornament
- suitMatched formal garments
slacks · professional · preppy · crisp · starched · polished · tailored · pressed
Systematically arranged
- methodicalOrganized and deliberate
- preciseExactly correct, no error
- orderlyArranged with care
- systematicFollowing ordered procedures
detail-oriented · thorough · careful · neat · tidy · fastidious · exacting · rigorous
Kept within limits
- disciplinedHaving strict self-control
- composedCalm and self-possessed
- reservedRestrained in manner
- measuredCarefully considered, unhurried
self-contained · understated · tight-lipped · guarded · careful · circumspect · discreet · reticent
traditional
Following long-held customs
- conventionalFollowing accepted practices
- strait-lacedExcessively proper and strict
- uptightAnxiously rigid in manner
conformist · establishment · corporate · mainstream · orthodox · proper · respectable · straight-arrow · by-the-book · rule-following
collar
Neck encirclement
suit · slacks · professional · preppy · crisp · starched · polished · tailored · pressed · smart-casual
organized
Systematically arranged
- methodicalOrganized and deliberate
- preciseExactly correct, no error
- orderlyArranged with care
systematic · detail-oriented · thorough · careful · neat · tidy · fastidious · exacting · rigorous · punctilious
controlled
Kept within limits
- disciplinedHaving strict self-control
- composedCalm and self-possessed
- reservedRestrained in manner
measured · self-contained · understated · tight-lipped · guarded · careful · circumspect · discreet · reticent · unflappable
buttoned-downfreewheeling
Acting without restraint
unconventional · casual · bohemian · nonconformist · free-spirited
buttoned-downuninhibited
Free from self-censorship
expressive · wild · spontaneous · loose · unrestrained
buttoned-downfreewheeling
Acting without restraint
laid-back · startup · entrepreneurial · scrappy · maverick
down, button, buttons, buttoned, unbuttoned, buttoning, button-down, unbuttoning, rebutton