Buttons have been around for ages. They are being used to fasten our clothing and to keep them in place. However, more than just their functional purposes, buttons have evolved into something high-fashion. Stylish and show-stopping buttons are now a thing on the runway. We call them jewelry buttons or haute couture buttons. They hint high-end brands, which of course translate to price.
Personally, I´m a lover of stylish buttons. I am enamored by the kind of message that they create. I especially pay attention to the buttons on jackets and coats, whenever I shop, as well as buttons on tops and skirts.
Recently I´ve embarked into a new journey of personal style evolution, which I will share more of on my next blog posts. I am discovering new styles that resonate more to my new style personality and that align more to where I am right now in life — happily in my middle thirties. One of the things that I am currently obsessing are beautiful buttons.
Before I´ll delve on how you can create haute couture looks using buttons for less, let me highlight first the four ways you can use buttons to create that coveted and stunning, runway result.
1. Buttons as Embellishment
Carolina Herrera, Monse, and Prabal Gurung / FW16
One way to approach elegance is minimalism. If you are a minimalist and you prefer simple, solid colors, you can use haute couture buttons to inject some personality. This is especially true if you are creating a head-to-toe pastel look.
Using buttons as embellishment will help you avoid looking dull and (take note!) … aging. Buttons will also inject a dose of edge to an otherwise very-feminine look.
2. Buttons as Standalone Jewelry
Armani, JW Anderson / SS15
Now I am one of the few (if not the only one) fashionistas/stylistas who don´t wear jewelry. It´s mostly due to religious reasons but also due to personal preference. What I do instead is accesorize my outfits with scarves. I have lots of scarves, in different sizes, styles, textures, fabrics and colors, and functionality. I also used to collect neckties.
But recently I discovered that buttons can be used as a gorgeous replacement to my scarves. Having one single, attention-grabbing button in an outfit will be enough to make me feel fully-dressed.
3. Buttons as Complementary Accent
Chanel SS17, Schiaparelli FW18, JW Anderson SS15
Another clever approach to using buttons in designing is complementary accent. You don´t clash the buttons to the color or print of your clothes, you complement it. This is a more elegant approach to styling than clashing.
Of course, even if you opt for the complementary route, you can still decide for the kind of look that you want to achieve. Is it high-fashion polished? Go for silver rhinestones. Is it elegantly casual? Go for big, nature-inspired yet mismatched buttons. Is it bold and creative? Go for colored!
4. Buttons as Contrast Details
Altuzarra FW12, Zuhair Murad SS14, Balenciaga SS14
Contrasting is another popular approach that fashion designers do when it comes to using buttons for their creations. Notice too that gold buttons are very popular on the runway, whether be it gold buttons on white, gold buttons on black leather, or gold buttons on dark blue suiting.
Gold is classic. And when done right, it is the most elegant of them all.
But in creating your own haute couture look, you need not stick with gold. You can experiment with many eye-catching jewelry buttons or haute couture buttons that are available and easily accessible now online from stores such as Tissura.
Here are some of my favorite rhinestone, haute couture buttons I found at Tissura.
And this is the whole point of this post. If you´re like me who can´t afford expensive high-fashion, you can create one for yourself instead. Not by yourself, but with the help of your trusted tailor.
Choose a haute couture look that you love from the runway and see if your tailor can copy it for you. Hand pick your own buttons, and give that runway look your own personal spin. I´ve done it several times, starting from my senior years in university, copying runway looks from magazines!
The most important part here is finding a tailor who is gifted. (Because some tailors are good, and then there are those few who are gifted.) Cultivate a good relationship with your tailor, it will last a long way in revolutionizing your wardrobe.
Once you´ve found your tailor, you can shop for jewelry and haute couture buttons, as well as haute couture fabrics online. Depending on your taste and budget, your haute couture project may cost you some money, and time, but it won´t make a dent in your bank account like buying a real haute couture piece off the runway would.