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Touch of a Button
Listed under: Trend Report
Published: Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Young and old are using buttons for embellishment: whether to customise clothing or to copy designer homewares
“We have never noticed buttons not being wanted, but they seem to be very fashionable right now,” says Michelle Horton, manager of Duttons for Buttons in Harrogate. “We haven't a clue where this popularity has come from, but they are not just being used as fastenings. We have seen more and more people use them as decoration for things such as lampshades and bags. We have some huge wooden buttons, which one customer is using as coasters.”
“We have noticed lots more younger people coming in the shop who want to use buttons as an easy way to make things,” reveals Michelle. “Many of them haven't learned to sew at school and buttons can be an easy way to embellish or decorate clothing, to make it stand out. If you buy a standard pair of trousers in a high street store they are the same as all of the others, but you can add different buttons to make them individual and more special. If you have a plain black jacket you can make it look new with coloured styles for daytime or diamanté crystals for night. The trend for customisation is definitely one we are seeing.
“There is also more interest in using buttons as decoration on homewares, on pelmets, picture frames and cushions,” Michelle continues. “Probably the most unusual request we had was for a large number of diamanté buttons for a headboard. There also seems to be a trend at the moment of putting shell finishings on lampshades – we had two people request these recently. Customers will often see things in stores and then decide to emulate what they have seen, as it is cheaper and easier for them to recreate the look themselves.
“I couldn't guess our most popular line – we have over 15,000 styles in stock! That said, big buttons are very common at the moment, as are fabric-covered and embellished styles. We noticed this trend at last year's trade shows. Some high street shops such as Marks & Spencer have corded buttons in their summer clothing collections. Throughout history, trends have filtered their way down from high fashion, but we have noticed that this process is becoming quicker. We have a saying: you see it in Paris one year, London the next, and Harrogate the year after!”
“We have noticed lots more younger people coming in the shop who want to use buttons as an easy way to make things,” reveals Michelle. “Many of them haven't learned to sew at school and buttons can be an easy way to embellish or decorate clothing, to make it stand out. If you buy a standard pair of trousers in a high street store they are the same as all of the others, but you can add different buttons to make them individual and more special. If you have a plain black jacket you can make it look new with coloured styles for daytime or diamanté crystals for night. The trend for customisation is definitely one we are seeing.
“There is also more interest in using buttons as decoration on homewares, on pelmets, picture frames and cushions,” Michelle continues. “Probably the most unusual request we had was for a large number of diamanté buttons for a headboard. There also seems to be a trend at the moment of putting shell finishings on lampshades – we had two people request these recently. Customers will often see things in stores and then decide to emulate what they have seen, as it is cheaper and easier for them to recreate the look themselves.
“I couldn't guess our most popular line – we have over 15,000 styles in stock! That said, big buttons are very common at the moment, as are fabric-covered and embellished styles. We noticed this trend at last year's trade shows. Some high street shops such as Marks & Spencer have corded buttons in their summer clothing collections. Throughout history, trends have filtered their way down from high fashion, but we have noticed that this process is becoming quicker. We have a saying: you see it in Paris one year, London the next, and Harrogate the year after!”
