GUEST POST: The Hidden Button

I thought it was funny when my friend Erin sent me this post about vintage buttons as I had just bought two rings made from buttons as described in my Adelaide Opshopping post. So here it goes:

GUEST POST: Erin, currently living in Long Beach, CA.

Inheriting both a vintage Mexican dress and jars of crazy, beautiful buttons from decades passed made me wonder just where the button has gone.

They seem to have fallen by the wayside going from decadent decoration to practical application, quietly securing our garments without drawing much attention. That said vintage over the last few years seem to be making a big comeback in all different styles of unique jewelry, from cuff bracelets to rings to pendants on necklaces.

These vintage buttons have been re-incarnated into one of kind jewelry:

You can find these at Vintage Soul located at Pangaea Outpost in San Diego, California.

You can find this in my closet:

As if this dress isn’t glorious enough just in color and embroidery - the buttons take the cake…

Oh yes…I inherited my grandmother’s sewing machine and a boatload of old buttons with it:

I’m really interested in trying to use these as replacements for some of the buttons on my current clothing or to embellish along a sleeve of a shirt or the waistline of some pants or skirts for a different look.

If anybody has some great ideas for bringing the button back to modern clothing, I would love to know about them.

Check out your own home for lost caches of long forgotten button collections or search online, there are plenty of collectors keeping the passion alive and numerous sellers on ebay and other independent websites. Your local flea markets and antique fairs are no doubt holding some treasures as well.

If you’re interested in a quick and easy read on the history of the button, check out “A History of the Button” by Roy Earnshaw.

Watch out for other posts by Erin, she might become a regular guest author! Erin can be contacted at erin.ash.motter@gmail.com