Why Buttons are Evil

A few months ago I was enjoying a bowl of tortilla soup from the Mermaid Cafe in Neiman Marcus NorthPark, when I looked across the table to a pair of ladies walking by. I was surprised when through the gape in one of the woman's button-down blouse I could see not only her bra but her stomach as well. Oh my! I felt for this unsuspecting lady because she had no idea that she was flashing people as she walked past them. And actually being unaware is better than being insecure that you're going to flash people. Insecurity is a defeating feeling. Ignorance is bliss.

Buttons are hard to manage for small, medium and large bustlines. If Jennifer Anniston causes a shirt to pucker and pull open . . . Both pattern makers we've worked with praise our hook & eye closure (our sewer and CFO have a different response though. Hooks & eyes are cumbersome to sew and expensive to purchase). Buttons have to be relatively closely spaced over the bustline to prevent the gaping, but putting so much pressure on one point of closure - a button - causes pulls and lines across the center front.

Also take into account the height of the bustline. The center bust point varies on bodies, and usually the gape occurs between the center bust point (where the nipple is in a bra) and the high waist.

I cringed when I saw this picture in The Financial Times. It is slight, but her shirt isn't securely closed. I wish the photographer would have taken her picture from the opposite side.

Lots of ladies are adept at safety pinning, able to do it in a matter of seconds. Some women wear camisoles underneath their white button-downs so they feel covered in case of a pop. I have only owned one button-down shirt in my life, and I put a snap inbetween the buttons where there was a pull. I don't wear that shirt.

And that is why we think buttons are evil. For women with large chests, we make button-down shirts that give that sleekly tailored look, but have a secure closure.