ONWARD to a new topic: Buttons

[MacLowlife]

We had snow a few days ago here on the wrong side of the tracks and everybody is getting a little cabin-feverish. I hope nobody thinks this topic is too small.

I'd like to discuss buttons.

Most of my jackets have come to me from other owners (instead of new or from the tailor) and they generally have the familiar white metal square buttons. I have a vintage child's jacket with diamond shaped ones and I have bought some in that shape, but don't yet have them on a jacket. Are they more typical of dancers' jackets?

I have seen pretty tweed daycoats with silver buttons, which seems odd to me. I have a daycoat with stag buttons and one that has leather knots. Does anyone have an opinion on the general appropriateness of silver buttons for daywear?

I know that Thompson talks about being able to swap out your buttons with those little cotter pins. He recommends black buttons for daywear. I expect the dominance of the black-Argyll-with-silver-buttons is way too complete to expect people to go back now. Thompson says it is very formal with a waistcoat, like morning dress. I think most people compare it to a navy blazer*,which usually has metal buttons,too.

And what about gold/golden/brass/yellow buttons? Any idea why they are less favored? Any examples of gold buttons in highland dress?

What say ye?


M'Ll

* I have come to prefer the navy Argyll as the all purpose jacket. It looks black at night, but not being black, it looks better in the daytime, regardless of buttons. But then, I seldom wear black in the daytime otherwise.

[Jock Scot]

I am not aware of who this fellow "Thompson" is, but he is right. The silver buttoned barathea argyll, with or without the waistcoat is for formal day wear(morning coat equivalent) and his suggestion of interchangeable black buttons is a good one. I sometimes wear the black button version to a formal wedding if I am a minor guest and have no wish to out shine the main players.

It seems yet again the argyll jacket is misunderstood. Blazer equivalent is a tweed argyll of any colour. I have never ever seen metal buttons on a tweed argyll.

[Zardoz]

I've seen gold plated square buttons around, http://www.highlandxpress.com/patterns.html#acc
But I don't recall seeing them being worn around here.

The first kilt jacket I ever got was a black argyll with the ubiquitous square chrome buttons. I took a dislike to the buttons after a while, mostly because they are ubiquitous, and being square and pointy they catch on stuff. They were held on with the little cotter pins and where easy to change, so I went to round styles just to be different. first to some round antique gold finish harp buttons as seen on the so called "Brian Boru" jackets, and currently with some round brushed silver Celtic knot styles.

[CMcG]

My Braemar jacket came with the typical shiny, square, chrome buttons. Some of them had cotter pins but some didn't, so it wasn't practical to swap them in and out with alterations. My solution was to "antique" them with a thin coat of nail polish and I quite like the look.

I also got a vintage set of 3 buttons for my white paisely silk waistcoat off eBay. Sterling silver with mother of pearl inlays and cotter pins on the back. My waistcoat doesn't have holes on both sides so I just sewed them on.

[MacLowlife]

http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/kilt_jackets.htm


Scroll down- Ettrick tweed, square buttons, etc.

[Chukta]

I have a bottle green Argyll jacket and vest in barathea, with the aforementioned square chrome buttons. Would it look okay to swap those buttons for horn buttons, to maybe "dress down" the look, making it look not quite so formal?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I prefer knotted leather buttons on my tweed jackets.

[piperdbh]

I have a bottle green Argyll jacket and vest in barathea, with the aforementioned square chrome buttons. Would it look okay to swap those buttons for horn buttons, to maybe "dress down" the look, making it look not quite so formal?

If that's what you want to do, you go right ahead and do it.

[Bugbear]

To my mind, MacLowlife, the tweed does not go well with brass buttons. I'm not sure why, either...

However, if it were a solid, navy blue argyle, I can see brass buttons working out.

I have no idea if that is somehow taboo, though.

I just like navy suits with brass buttons.

[greenfordranger]

I just recently picked up some Black Watch buttons in brass from What Price Glory www.onlinemilitaria.net to go on a shell jacket I had a friend make me in 20 oz. black wool. Knowing it's not period correct to anything but it's sure going to look good w/the kilt