Buttons: not just Mother of Pearl | Classic Chicago Magazine

By Jill Lowe

“Buttons are the fossils of the sartorial world, enduring long past the garments they were designed to hold together” Martha Stewart

Not only will buttons endure, but buttons can serve to change a garment for a different look. Yes, one can learn to sew on buttons but your seamstress will know the best method for a particular button.

Sometimes matching thread is what is called for or maybe contrasting thread for the pop.

Fabric covered buttons in the fabric of the garment is stylish and are usually better with a shank.

This Yves St Laurent jacket has just the striking buttons needed.

There is nothing like actually seeing the buttons in a store, although more and more we must access online. Indeed buttons are available in Chicago at various places by searching in fabric stores. Years ago we had the charming, small Tender Buttons. We lamented it closing but was then available in NYC until it too closed in 2019.

In Chicago we have the embellishments store Soutache on Lincoln Ave and their button section features some very special buttons, definitely worth visiting.

Today in Manhattan a wonderful option is Lou Lou Buttons, having been in business for 35 years. To be selling buttons requires a love of buttons. They sell to royalty, high end designers and have customers the world over. And they LOVE buttons.

As Cute as a Button – an online store based in SanDiego has interesting featured products.

Online is Dress it up Buttons a comprehensive button shop with many styles and extensive seasonal buttons.

London UK has many many button stores. The embroidery and needlework business enable such specialty stores to thrive with a demand for military buttons as well as high end designs and of course the royal courts.

Taylors Buttons in London, tell you that “entering the shop is like finding a treasure trove on a dusty street” You can tell from the sentiment that you will love visiting.

The Button Queen is always a mecca for the creative and fashionable, selling buttons to Saville Row Tailors and opera and theatre costumers. Not located in London now, but mostly online you can still find the right button.

The Old Button Shop is an online shop with vintage buttons.

In Australia is found a plethora of button stores (see notes).

Of note is All Buttons great and small in Sydney. The owner has a just published book depicting the peculiar history of buttons, offering a world of delight.

All Buttons Great and Small: A compelling history of the button, from the Stone Age to today by Lucy Godoroja

Photo from Dress it Up buttons

Expressions and Sayings related to Buttons

A button may be a fastener but also the word is used for political slogan buttons. Button is used for computer jargon and sentimental wordage as in “pushing ones buttons”

Some expressions include:-

-to button one’s lip – to remain silent

-bright as a button- very cheery

-hot button- a central issue

-at the push of a button- very easily done

-button nose: a person having such a nose

-cute as a button- very cute

-on the button- exactly

-press the panic button – to start a panic

-you pushed my buttons- to elicit emotional response

Whether or not one has a seamstress sew on buttons, the act of sewing on a button is a life skill as buttons DO fall off in unexpected times! It is so good to teach sons and daughters. They will never forget. So good to teach grandsons and granddaughters too.

So many sizes, shapes

This useful chart below helps one decide what size new buttons to purchase. In imperial measure and metric it is helpful if buying buttons from countries other than USA.

Ligne (from the French for line) is the traditional unit for measuring buttons. In fact it was first used by button manufacturers way back in the 9th century.

It’s still in standard use today.

photo chart from www.sunmeibutton.com

Curious Button Information

Why are buttons on women’s clothing on the left?

Of course not because more women left handed. No, the Smithsonian tells us that:-

During historical periods like the Renaissance and the Victorian Era, women’s clothing was often much more complicated and elaborate than men’s – think petticoats, corsets and bustles. But while rich men often dressed themselves, their female family members most likely had servants to help them put on their clothes, both out of luxury and necessity. To make it easier for servants to button up their employer’s dresses right, clothiers might have started sewing buttons on the opposite side. Eventually, as clothing became more and more mass produced, women’s clothes kept being made with the buttons of the left, and the design became standard.

Napoleon and Brass buttons on Uniforms

The Smithsonian tells us that Napoleon took the idea from Frederick the great -ruler of Prussia (1740-1786)

Because troops were not supplied with Kleenex for mopping brows and noses, Napoleons’s commanders ordered these brass buttons to be sewn on the front of the sleeve cuffs. This was done to make sure that the soldiers and the sailors did not wipe their mouths and noses on their sleeves.

The style endures as we see he buttons on the sleeves of our blazers and shirts!

So delicate to fasten, so laborious to button, not to mention the sewing on of the tiny buttons found in bridal wear.

What one finds nowadays in bridal wear is to get the look of the tiny buttons but if examined, the bridal frock is often using buttons as an overlay, with some form of concealed zipper. How clever! Needless to say it is the look of the button which is so appealing.