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Posted on: 7/17/18 8:59 AM ET
I'm a beginner and noticed in my current shirt project https://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/50248/ that the button sizes are much larger compared to my RTW garments?!... I had stocked up on buttons during my visit to the US (since they are much cheaper than buying them here in Sweden) but now I'm worried that my shirts will look strange with such large buttons. Is this just a cost cutting thing that fast fashion brands do?... I live in a smaller town so I don't exactly have access to pop into a high end store to see how their buttons look on garments.

Anyone who can enlighten me? What do you think about trying to replicate RTW button sizes? On that note, I also noticed that that most pattern directions call for a lot of hand sewing, whereas my fast fashion clothes generally are folded up and hemmed.
  
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Posted on: 7/17/18 9:45 AM ET
Yes, using smaller buttons is probably a money-saving decision. Less material, and slightly less thread needed to create each buttonhole. Ready-to-wear companies buy buttons by the thousands/millions, so the savings would tend to add up. But you can use whatever size of button you want, as long as it is in scale with what you are making, and enhances the appearance of it. You don't need to slavishly follow the trends you see in your RTW clothing.
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Posted on: 7/17/18 10:18 AM ET
In reply to bulletproof
For me, the joy of sewing my own clothes is that the end result is loads better than what I could buy for myself, so I say, go with what works for you. Look to vintage fashion for inspiration on what's possible and not defined by the narrow constraints of RTW. I agree smaller buttons are most likely a decision based on saving money for the clothing industry.
  
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Posted on: 7/17/18 11:48 AM ET
In reply to bulletproof
The small buttons may be a design decision, or, they could just be chosen because they're a little cheaper.

In either case, however, RTW or home sewn from a pattern, there's a general rule of how big the button extension (=button stand) needs to be in relation to the button size. So patterns are really made for a particular size button. What's a button stand or button extension? It's the distance from where the button is sewn to the finished edge of the fabric; generally, it's the distance from center front to where the fabric folds under.

Here's Kathleen Fasanella on button sizes:
https://fashion-incubator.com/reverse_engineering_standard_work_pt9/

I learned it as the slightly more generous "width of button + 1/8" (3 mm).

But those two "standards" will give you an idea of how far you can go with tinkering with button sizes without needing to change the pattern.

  
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Posted on: 7/17/18 12:04 PM ET
In reply to bulletproof
The machine finished hems are a sign of fast, cheap sewing! Fast fashion is not very durable either. Items you see will last longer, especially if you use reasonably good fabric.
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Absolutely loving my Janome 500e embroidery machine, very creative. Problem with all my stash for clothing!
  
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Re: Selecting button sizes, RTW finishes (posted on 7/17/18 5:20 PM ET)
Oh wow, thanks for the replies! So much to learn, never thought about the concept of button extension and how garments should be constructed. Good to know how to adjust if changing the button sizes.

Great idea to look to other inspiration such as vintage. Makes sense that machine finished hems are cheaper to produce - I'm almost not used to seeing how a hand finished hem looks (have been looking at clothes on Nordstrom's website where more garments are finished with invisible hems). Right now the quality of my sewing is not so good, but I hope to get better with more practice.
  
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Posted on: 7/17/18 8:11 PM ET
There are lots of reasons people might sew their own clothing, and replicating RTW is one of them. I think button choice, number of buttons, and placement all affect the overall vibe of a piece. If you want your clothing to look like better RTW, then it makes sense to choose buttons that mimic production sewing. I read somewhere that choosing big, colorful buttons, however fun they may be, make a garment look handmade. The author was clear in her belief that it is best to choose smaller buttons which were neutral in color.

OTOH, it is sometimes good to add a little spice to both our cooking and our sewing.
  
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Re: Selecting button sizes, RTW finishes (posted on 7/17/18 10:01 PM ET)
I think as sewists we all have to decide what we aspire to with our efforts. Do we want to try and replicate runway couture garments, high end RTW, or fast H&M fashion? There is no right or wrong here, but they each have their techniques. Frankly, if someone criticized my new skirt for it's button size or talked about the size of that one button on the back of the skirt, well, a mouthful would ensue. ;)
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Re: Selecting button sizes, RTW finishes (posted on 7/17/18 10:41 PM ET)
Agree with what everyone has said, but do want to mention that button sizes and whether colours stand out or blend in do change with changing fashions. i find looking at the RTW lines of the couture houses a good inspiration for interesting details and general trends. Choose a line whose esthetic you like and google away. Sewing is an incredible journey.
  
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Re: Selecting button sizes, RTW finishes (posted on 7/22/18 12:47 PM ET)
RTW buttons are small because small buttons increase their profit margin. Most of the time they are tiny white buttons, not pretty buttons.

Things like shirt buttons used to be much larger, especially on men's shirts. Men used to button and unbutton their shirts but often now they just pull them over their head and leave them to their wives to untangle. This info comes directly from a friend who was constantly frustrated with the small buttons and her large 6'6" husband who couldn't do the buttons if he wanted to. His hands were too big for the fiddly little buttons.

Personally, I've had a number of RTW things where I've changed the buttons even when I had to add to the length of the buttonholes because I have difficultly with the tiny ones and often they are too small for the fabric weight. It's all about profit, nothing more.

Make your buttons the size and color you want them to be. Also, you may find that suggested pattern placement aren't the best for your shape and figure. I wait until a garment is finished and then place the buttons so any tension will be in the right places. I don't want a blouse that pulls open in the bust just because of where the buttons are.

While I'm thinking of it, you've probably had pants with fly front where the flap gets creased and/or folds back and you cannot get it to lay flat no matter what you do. It too me years to figure it out but the problem lies in the button placement. When on, there is stress on the waistband and it pulls at the button. If the waist is tight it pulls more than a well fitting pair. If you move the button tighter between 1/4" and 1/2" (depending on the stress and pant construction) you will see that fold go away. When sewing pants and skirts for yourself, I find it best to line things up straight and then move the button location a bit tighter. As you wear your pants the fly cover shouldn't start getting a permanent crease and fold.

I took several pairs of jeans and cut off the metal buttons with cutters. I stitched over and over the hole using some support on the back of several pairs. I sewed on a new button in a tighter position and bingo - no more weird fly flap. You can test your pants by pulling on the waist and watching what happens with the fly the tighter you pull. When you sew your own, always place the button a bit tighter. It will really help in long term wear.

Happy stitching!
  
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