When Barack Obama was inaugurated for the 2nd time as President of the United States, people went crazy over his daughter Malia’s purple coat from J.Crew. But they would never be able to own that exact coat: J.Crew pulled that particular color of coat from stores out of respect for the first family. But even if you managed to snag one that was similar, Malia had changed out the original buttons to gold rimmed ones, making the coat truly her own. And you can do the same.
Whether it is an investment piece that you want to put your own mark on, or that thrift store find that needs to be updated, you can easily upgrade your wardrobe by upgrading your buttons.
(Can’t sew to save your life? No problem! I show you below, step by step, how to sew that button on your coat or shirt. Sewing a button isn’t like sewing a dress or even a hem; it can be done easily and quickly – and there’s nothing like that feeling of satisfaction once you see the results of your effort.)
What Kind of Coat or Shirt Should You Look for When Changing the Buttons?
Most coats could do with having their buttons upgraded. Any of the pictured coats would look quite different with new buttons:
Have you thought about changing out the buttons on that crisp white button up? Adding some tiny rhinestone buttons might be just the thing to add a little something extra to a special outfit. You can also change out the buttons on patterned shirts too. Just make sure that you are using a solid color or metal so that it doesn’t clash with the pattern.
The Fun Part! Picking Out Your New Buttons.
When you are looking for new buttons to use on your coat or shirt there are some things to remember. One of the most important is to make sure that the new buttons are the same size as the buttons that you are replacing. Not only will they not fit in the buttons holes if they are not the same size, the original designer probably used that size because it was the most aesthetically pleasing. I would do a small test if you are planning to change from the size of the original buttons.
Now you get to purchase your new buttons. Buttons come in a wide variety of prices, so it is really up to you how much you want to spend. I would first head to your local craft store so you can see the buttons in person and check the size. However, if they don’t have what you are looking for, you can also buy them online. Take a look at Lots of Buttons, they have every kind of button you can think of.
Here are some examples of buttons that I think could be really fun to use:
You Can Sew a Button!
Don’t forget to pin this on Pinterest for reference later. (And make sure to follow us while you are there!)
Go Forth in Upgraded Style.
Now your coat or shirt is a statement piece instead of something you just throw on to keep warm. You will feel special and unique, especially because you did it yourself. (Still not up for the task? Take your coat to a drycleaner or seamstress and have them do it for you. We won’t tell anyone.)
Upgrading your buttons can be a fun and inexpensive way to spice up your wardrobe and allow your creativity to flow.
Photo Credits: Coat collage (in clockwise order)- oldnavy.com, Nordstrom.com, jcrew.com, jcpenney.com, all other photos courtesy of the author