Jacket buttons?

[MacLowlife]

I appreciate your tailors' attitude, but I think we might approach this differently with a happy enough result I read somewhere the following advice:

If you can't take the back off, you don't really own it.

Meaning, it is yours, and if you choose to risk ruining it, that is one of the rights of ownership.

Please understand, a smart tailor might well run from velvet, but you have what is in effect, a roadkill jacket. It is already dead. You would not ever wear it in its present condition. If someone can make it wearable, you have harvested / salvaged something that would have gone to waste. With no cost / no pride of ancestry, you can also attribute a certain devil-may-care quality to this project. Granted, it would be nice to make a beautiful jacket, but making one that is merely pretty good is not such a bad thing...

NOW, considering the treatment you got from your tried and true, it might be worthwhile to assess how that influences your design choices. On the one hand, you might opt for the simplest amount of work, that being the least number of opportunities for mischief with the fabric. OR, you might bear in mind that the greater the amount of ornamentation you put on it, the less people will notice any flaws. Think of the difference between a piece of beautiful cut crystal and a beautiful piece of absolutely plain crystal. The one is valued FOR its ornamentation and the other for its sparseness. And its flawlessness. So, fewer changes or more raised seams, buttons, and contrasting facings?

One final factor, though: If this project seems doomed from the start, you might not want to plow too much cash into it.

I'd look for an immigrant tailor who will do a lot of handwork and be sure to warn them about steaming / pressing. Best of luck.

[Steve Barclay]

Sound advice as ever gents!

[piperdbh]

Back to the buttons...
If the buttons are "working" buttons, that is, they'll be pushed through buttonholes on a regular basis, I'd recommend against diamond-shaped buttons. I chose to have diamond buttons on my Inverness cape, and they're hard to get through the buttonholes. Round or square are your best bet.

There are folks here who might rework that jacket for you. VMac is an excellent seamstress, as are several other members.

[Steve Barclay]

I've actually found someone who can do it thanks, in my home town of Birmingham. I've given the matter of the buttons alot of thought, and decided for now because it will be my sole jacket for a while and therefore will need to be a little more "multi-purpose" rather than completely formal, I am going to have plain black round buttons on it for the moment, with a view to changing to flashier ones once I get more jackets.

[Steve Barclay]

Got it back Saturday, I'm very pleased with the job they've done (the tailor's were "We Make And Mend" in Birmingham, but I will certainly investigate Dalman & Narborough for the future, thanks Deil's Chiel). My new Barclay Hunting Modern kilt arrived the same day (seen here). Apologies for how thin my black hose appear, due to the flash photography!

[HeathBar]

That's a smart looking kilt and jacket you have there cousin.

[Steve Barclay]

Thank you Sir!