Quick answer: Qiaotou (桥头镇) is a town in Yongjia County, Wenzhou, China that is widely known as “China’s Button Capital.” Since the early 1980s it has grown into one of the world’s largest specialized markets for buttons and zippers, home to thousands of button workshops and traders. Buttons that come out of Qiaotou benefit from […]
Qiaotou: China’s Button Capital — and Why It Makes Better Buttons Read More »
Quick answer: Use sew-through buttons (the flat kind with 2 or 4 holes) for lightweight fabrics like shirts and blouses. Use shank buttons (which have a loop on the back instead of holes) for thick or structured fabrics like coats and jackets, where the raised shank leaves room for the heavy buttonhole layer to sit
Sew-Through vs. Shank Buttons: Which One Should You Use? Read More »
Quick answer: Button size is measured in ligne (abbreviated L), the international standard for apparel. 1 ligne = 0.635 mm. To find a button’s ligne, measure its diameter in millimeters and divide by 0.635. Example: a 20 mm button = 32L. If you’ve ever seen a button listed as “24L” or “32L” and had no idea what
Button Sizes Explained: Understanding Ligne (L) and How to Measure Read More »
Quick answer: A button is defined by three things — its type (how it attaches), its size (measured in ligne, or L), and its material (resin, metal, wood, horn, shell, or corozo). To choose the right button, match the type to your garment’s construction, the size to its placement, and the material to the fabric
The Complete Button Buying Guide: Types, Sizes & Materials Explained Read More »