Buttonholes

claireshaeffer

claireshaeffer

VFG Member
Buttonholes are among the items which I use to determine if a garment is couture so I frequently ask a seller what kind of buttonholes does it have?
This is the answer I received when I asked what kind of buttonholes a jacket had.

"I'm not certain what you mean by what kind of button holes. They are buttonholes." Obviously, the seller is not a VFG member.

Here are two buttonholes from my new tailoring book:
The black and white is a bound buttonhole on a Galliano Dior. Most are not matched like these, but they are stunning.
The pink is a thread buttonhole (YSL). It is handmade and sometimes called an embroidered buttonhole. This is one of the prettiest I've ever seen.

Many of the Chanel copies have bound buttonholes and a few originals have them. Most have thread buttonholes and some have a faux bound buttonhole on the lining or facing side.

If the garment has a machine buttonhole, it is rarely couture.
 

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Many thanks for this Claire. I always stop to examine buttonholes as it makes me think how much time they spent making the garment. That matched button hole is quite a feat - my head aches just thinking how stressful that would be to get perfect!
 
Thank you for these examples, Claire! The thread buttonhole on the YSL is just beautiful. If I ever start making clothing for myself again, that's something I'd like to try. It looks so nice.

I almost always look at a garment's buttonholes, not really to determine couture or not, since there's almost no couture to be found in my area, but to see the overall quality of the workmanship. I saw a cute cape today at a vintage shop. I knew it was "home sewn," but it looked really good from afar. But when I saw the mess that were the machine-made buttonholes, I passed.... OTH, I recently purchased a few pieces from the estate of a local professional seamstress. Her bound buttonholes were very nicely done.
 
On menswear, the buttonholes are often worn. If the garment is bespoke, it can be taken back and they'll redo them.

Charlie had a favorite Hickey Freeman jacket many years ago --so long ago that even though it was rtw, the buttonholes were handmade. He wore out the buttonholes so I ripped them out and redid them. I finally hid the jacket so he would wear another.
 
I finally hid the jacket so he would wear another.
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LOL! I used to live in Rochester, NY, where Hickey-Freeman was founded and is still based. I have a story that's sort of about the company, and which was very special to me long ago. When my ex & I moved back to the area in 1978, and he was looking for a job in Rochester, he interviewed with a judge who took one look at his old coat (we were dirt poor after putting him through law school), called up someone at Hickey-Freeman, and told him, "I'm sending over so-and-so right now. He needs an overcoat. Find him one and put it on my account." It was an amazing thing for him to do; my ex and this judge remained friends until the judge passed away. (And the coat was beautiful, and he wore it for years.)
 
Speaking of bespoke and button holes - Most suit jackets for men have the buttons sewn on the outside of the sleeve near the cuff, which is kind of silly when you think about it - I guess like decorative shutters on the house. My Dad and brother had some suits from Henry Poole and they all buttoned at the sleeves. And I'm sure they were beautiful button holes ! I always check those buttons on jacket sleeves, hoping to find the real deal. not just some buttons tacked on.
 
Amanda,
In bespoke, there are usually four buttonholes: 2 open and 2 blind or closed. The open should be functional. I asked the tailor at Gieves and Hawkes who 2 were blind. She said it was tradition. I'll ask another older tailor.

On newer expensive rtw jackets, the alterations dept. will usually make buttonholes if asked. They are on the suit at the outset so the sleeves can be altered.

Henry Poole is the oldest house and a very good house on Savile Row.
 
I'm such a newbie. I've never even thought of looking at the button holes when considering whether or not to purchase something. Thank you for this post!
 
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