Manufacturer · Fashion & Home Accessories
Good bone coat buttons are 32L–40L (about 20–25 mm) on the front and 24L–28L on the sleeves, dense, rimmed or domed, and sewn on with a thread shank and a backing button on the inside. Bone gives a solid, pleasantly heavy button that looks good on wool, tweed and cashmere and withstands daily fastening.
Why bone is a good choice for a coat
A coat puts a heavy load on its buttons: thick fabric, the weight of the garment itself, fastening with gloves, rubbing against bags and belts. The button must be large enough to grip easily, hard enough not to bend and heavy enough to look in proportion with the bulky garment. Bone meets all three requirements. In addition, the natural material underlines the quality of the wool fabric.
Bone coat buttons: sizes
| Position | Size in lignes | Approximately, mm |
|---|---|---|
| Front of a women's coat | 28L–36L | 17.8–22.9 |
| Front of a men's coat | 32L–40L | 20.3–25.4 |
| Voluminous or oversized coat | 40L–48L | 25.4–30.5 |
| Sleeves and cuffs | 24L–28L | 15.2–17.8 |
| Belt, epaulettes, pocket flaps | 24L–32L | 15.2–20.3 |
| Backing button (inside) | 16L–20L | 10.2–12.7 |
The values follow the standard 1L = 0.635 mm and are approximate. The final size depends on the silhouette, the width of the lapels and the thickness of the fabric.
How many buttons you need
- Single-breasted coat – usually 3–5 buttons on the front.
- Double-breasted coat – 4 or 6 buttons, some of them decorative, plus an inside button to fasten the under-front.
- Sleeves – 1–4 buttons per sleeve depending on the style.
- Belt, epaulettes, pockets – according to the design.
- Backing buttons – one for each functional button on the front.
- Spares – one of each size.
Shape and profile
Flat with 4 holes and a rim
A classic look for wool coats. The rim protects the thread from abrasion and gives a finished appearance.
Domed
They suit voluminous styles and thick fabrics. A domed button catches the light and emphasises the fastening.
Shank buttons
A button with a loop on the underside sits raised above the fabric, with no visible holes on the face. It suits minimalist styles and buttons with an engraved logo in the centre.
Toggles
Elongated bone or horn buttons are the trademark of the duffle coat. They fasten with loops of cord or leather.
Colour relative to the fabric
- Camel, beige, sand – natural or lightly toned bone, tone on tone.
- Grey and anthracite – bone dyed grey or scorched bone for contrast.
- Navy and black – dark-dyed bone or horn buttons.
- Tweed and herringbone – mottled scorched bone that echoes the fabric's mélange.
- Bright colours – bone dyed to the fabric tone or neutral light bone.
How to sew a button on a coat
- Mark the position through the buttonhole when the coat is closed and the fronts lie exactly.
- Prepare the thread – strong polyester or silk thread, doubled, in the colour of the button or fabric.
- Place a backing button on the inside, opposite the main one. It takes the load and protects the fabric and interfacing from tearing.
- Sew with slack. Leave a gap between the button and the fabric equal to the thickness of the front – about 3–5 mm with thick fabric.
- Form a shank. Wind the thread several times around the slack under the button and secure it with knots on the inside.
In series production, the functional coat buttons are sewn on with machines that have a shank function, and the backing buttons in the same operation or separately. The decorative buttons on a double-breasted coat can be sewn without much slack.
Coat buttonholes
Coats most often use keyhole buttonholes – with a round eye at the end in which the button shank sits. This keeps the button centred and the fabric around the buttonhole does not pucker. The buttonhole length is determined by the diameter and thickness of the button plus an allowance for the thick fabric, so the buttons must be chosen and available before the buttonhole machine is programmed. On double-breasted coats, do not forget the inside buttonhole for the lower button. Test fastening the sample while wearing gloves – this will show whether the size is comfortable in real use.
Caring for a coat with bone buttons
Most wool coats are dry-cleaned. Bone usually withstands the process, but for expensive styles we recommend testing a sample or protecting the buttons with foil. When steam ironing or pressing the front, do not press the button with the hot plate. If the coat is washed in water, choose a wool programme, a low temperature and wash it buttoned.
Engraved logo on the coat
A coat button is large and visible – an excellent place for the brand mark. On bone, laser engraving is dark and contrasting, and the grooves can be filled with paint. A 36L button has enough area for a monogram or lettering around the holes. See more in the engraved buttons category.
Common mistakes
- a button that is too small and looks out of proportion on a voluminous coat;
- sewing without a shank – the front puckers and the buttonhole stretches;
- no backing button – the fabric tears under the button;
- the buttonhole made before the button is finally chosen.
See the available designs in the bone buttons category.
Coat buttons from Polkom
Polkom is a Bulgarian manufacturer of accessories for fashion, furniture, footwear and bags, based in Sofia. We supply bone buttons in large sizes for coats, with an engraved logo and in various finishes, and also offer a button-attaching service. Send an inquiry with the fabric and the style via our contact page – we will prepare samples.
