Size
Does your garment already have a buttonhole or loop?
Please measure your buttonhole. In general, buttonholes allow an additional 3 mm of length above the button measurement. This is to include ease and the thickness of the button.
Shaped or thick buttons: Consider the longest edge of the button and/or its thickness when measuring against your buttonhole.
No buttonhole yet? The world is your oyster.
You can choose whatever button you want with very few exceptions. If you are improvising from a suggested size, you may have to re-space the buttonholes or locate them farther from the edge.
Please do not make the buttonholes until you have received your buttons — then make a test buttonhole (or two!)
Type
Buttons have been made from almost every material throughout history — bone, wood, cloth, yarn, glass, crystal, plastics and acrylics, mother of pearl and various shells, as well as leather.
Please consider buttons that will be compatible with how you will live in your garment and the care you will give it. Fancy buttons can be fun on an everyday garment, but you need to consider how often your garment will be laundered or cleaned.
Delicate buttons
Fragile buttons may not hold up to regular laundering. In that case, you would want to temporarily remove the buttons from the garment and re-attach them later.
Tip: Mark the original button location before removing by sewing a small X on the wrong side of the fabric (where the thread shows).
Materials to handle with care
In general, buttons made from glass, shells, and buttons with fancy finishes can be considered delicate — like costume jewelry. Some brightly colored buttons might fade onto lighter fabric (pretty rare, but not all materials are considered colorfast).
Finding the Right Button
Search our site for buttons by color, by use, and by type to find just the right inspiration.
Browse All ButtonsButton Size Chart
A size chart for your general use. Download the PDF to print a true-to-scale reference.
Print at 100% scale (no scaling) for accurate measurements.
Happy button hunting!
— The Exquisite Fabrics team