What is a meaning of this clause? It's quoted from a Novel "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck.
From the quote " The shadowy figure of the old man appeared in the doorway, holding his unbuttoned garments about him"
I didn't understand an exact meaning of the clause " holding his unbuttoned garments about him". Could you please advise me? Who or what did an action of holding? What does "about him" mean in this context? Because i'm not a native, it's really hard to me to understand the senses that the author needed to convey.

Question

What is a meaning of this clause? It's quoted from a Novel "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck.
From the quote " The shadowy figure of the old man appeared in the doorway, holding his unbuttoned garments about him" 
I didn't understand an exact meaning of the clause " holding his unbuttoned garments about him". Could you please advise me? Who or what did an action of holding? What does "about him" mean in this context? Because i'm not a native, it's really hard to me to understand the senses that the author needed to convey.

Answer

The "old man" is holding. His coat is "unbuttoned", meaning that the front is open. But he is holding his coat closed with his hands instead of the buttons. In this case, "about" means "surrounding" (not "approximately").

Answer

In context, the old man was waiting for the hot water for his cough. When he is holding his unbuttoned garments about him, that means that he has his garments unbuttoned for comfort and the acclimate to the heat of the hot water. He is holding them while he is wearing them (holding them about him), which is a literary visual symbol of worrying.

Answer

its goods, hello can you help me to improve english