Wardrobe Refresh: Changing Buttons

You look in your closet, grab that ‘perfect’ item, put it on and then can’t figure out why it seems ‘off’. Knowing your Colour Palette and your Style Personality helps you determine that it isn’t the colour or the shape that feels wrong. Have you considered that the buttons (or some other detail) may be an issue?

Here are two sweaters that I own from Old Navy. I purchased the strawberry pink sweater in 2023 and wore it exactly once. The rosey lilac version I got this year (2024) – I love the colour and fit but I despise the buttons. I instantly noticed that the buttons were doing it a disservice. They look like an afterthought – as if Old Navy got a mega order of these buttons and decided to just slap them on anything.

Which thankfully made me understand why that strawberry pink didn’t get any love last year! The buttons are exactly the same and let this cardigan down too.

I started my search for more suitable buttons online and thankfully got reminded that macFAB Sews (Toronto, Ontario) has a terrific selection in store. I wish I had taken a photograph of their shelves (and shelves) of buttons to share with you here. You will have to be satisfied seeing the two buttons I chose out of their selection.

The time investment here can be as little as 1-2 hours if you can make quick decisions at a single fabric store and have basic sewing skills . The timing goes upwards if you go down a rabbit hole looking at all the options (decision fatigue is real!). If you don’t have the time or the skills to change the buttons, your local alterations store or dry cleaner should be able to complete this task with minimal cost.

Now I have two cardigans with their own unique flare. Bonus: They look less genetic and more authentically me.

Can you think of an item of clothing that you can change? Go pull it from you closet it and make the small adjustment to turn it from OK to fabulous.