TYPES OF BUTTONS | 18 Main Types You Will Use

How to choose the correct types of buttons can be a daunting task when you consider the huge selection available. Buttons come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and can be made in all kinds of different materials. They can be decorative accessories or a practical way of fastening an outfit. This tutorial will show you the different types of buttons and button names classified by their shape and what materials they are made from.

Collecting buttons can be a great hobby, and most sewing enthusiasts, including me, have a jar of buttons on their shelf, adding a touch of color to the sewing room. Actually, I have a plastic tub full and not just a jar!

History of Buttons

Buttons have been around for centuries. Once affordable for only the wealthy, buttons were traditionally hand-made from everything from seashells, to wood, and metal. When the industrial revolution took place, buttons were manufactured and mass-produced, making them more affordable and commonly used. 

Types of Buttons Tutorial

Buttons come in a vast array of shapes and sizes, colors, and creative materials. In this article, I have classified the buttons first by their button type and then by their composition.

When choosing the best button for your project, the size is the top priority, followed by style, and lastly, composition.

Let's begin with the 5 different types of buttons classified by shape:

1. Flat Buttons
2. Shank Buttons
3. Stud Buttons
4. Toggle Buttons
5. Decorative Buttons
6. Snap Buttons

Types of Buttons by Shape

1. Flat Buttons

Most buttons that are mass-produced, fall into the category of flat buttons. 

Flat types of buttons are mainly manufactured in plastic or metal with two or four holes to sew the button onto the fabric. Because they are flat, these buttons can be sewn on by sewing machines using a specialty foot to hold them in place.

The shirt button is usually a flat button with two or four holes and has specific measurements. Traditional men’s shirts use different button sizes on the collar, cuff, and down the front of the shirt.

2. Shank Buttons (Buttons without Holes)

Shank buttons are buttons without holes through the top. They have a shank underneath to sew the button onto the garment.

A shank type of button is a great option for jackets and thicker material or for a decorative finish making the button raised on the garment.

3. Stud Buttons

Stud types of buttons for clothes are very popular in the manufacturing of jeans. Sometimes they are called jeans buttons or denim buttons. Stud buttons are pressed onto the fabric with a special machine and are not used much for home applications. The button can be embossed or branded and is great for marketing purposes.

4. Toggle Buttons

Toggle types of buttons are made in an interesting, elongated oval shape with two holes in the center to sew them in place. They can be made from a variety of materials, including wood, plastic, and even horn.

Toggles often use loops as their fasteners. They are ideal clothes button types designed for thicker coats and jackets such as duffel jackets. 

5. Decorative Buttons

Buttons can be used for cuff links, lapel buttons, and other non-functional, decorative purposes. You can find fancy buttons on shirts and jackets, giving a tailored finish to many garments. 

Decorative buttons often have irregular shapes making it hard to fit them through buttonholes. I've used the fish and butterfly buttons as accents on the necklines.

6. Snap Buttons

Snaps are common on baby clothing as well as denim jackets. They have 2 sides that snap together when pressed for a strong fastening that is easy to open and close. Snap buttons can be used for home sewing with a few simple tools.

Types of Buttons by Composition

Buttons can be made of various compositions, and most projects will have several types of buttons that will be suitable. Think about the longevity of your sewn item and the washing method before choosing the type of button.

Button names by compositions include:

7. Plastic
8. Wood
9. Coconut
10. Leather
11. Metal
12. Shell
13. Fabric
14. Glass
15. Snap
16. Rhinestone
17. Enamel
18. Resin
19. Chinese Knot
20. Ceramic
21. Horn and Bone

7. Plastic Buttons           

Once the industrial revolution took place and plastic came into the world of manufacturing, buttons took on a new role and became mass-produced, cheap, and cheerful options for fasteners and decorative finishes.  Although zippers are a very popular fastening innovation, buttons still remain the best-selling fastener in the clothing industry.

Polyester buttons are an inexpensive form of plastic and can be used to mimic all kinds of other buttons.  It can be manufactured to look like wood, pearl,  or metal and colored with paint in bright colors.

Plastic buttons are the most common type of button you will find on garments.

8. Wooden Buttons

Wood makes very unique long-lasting buttons. In their natural state, wood buttons have different textures and patterns, but they can also be painted in all sorts of colors. 

9. Coconut Buttons

Coconut is a strong material for making buttons. They can be left natural or painted. Due to the curve in coconut shells, these types of buttons tend to be less than ¾ inch (20 mm) in diameter.

10. Leather Buttons

Genuine leather and faux leather have been used to make buttons for a long time.  Leather buttons are hard-wearing and add a distinguished look to jackets.  One of the original leather buttons was known as the football button because it resembled an old leather football.

11. Metal Buttons

Buttons have been made in all types of metal, including aluminum, iron, stainless steel, brass, and even zinc alloy. Brass buttons have been very much a part of the military uniform for centuries. 

Metal buttons can be printed with logos or embossed, giving them an added touch of class. They are very flexible as they can be smooth, textured, hammered, or ridged. 

Metal buttons can be large or small and make great decorative statements as well as being incredibly durable.

12. Pearl and Shell Buttons

Mother of pearl and shell can be used to make all kinds of functional and decorative buttons. Mother of pearl is usually white, cream or pink and faux pearls can be manufactured in different colors.  Small pearl buttons are very feminine and often used on wedding dresses.

13. Fabric Buttons

Buttons can be covered in a fabric of your choice.  Button covering kits allow the home seamstress to design and cover matching buttons for sewing projects. 

Button kits allow for different button sizes and the shank is pressed into the back of the button ready to be sewn onto the garment.

• How to Make Fabric Buttons (with a kit)
• Making Fabric Buttons (without a kit)

14. Glass Buttons

Refined types of buttons can be made of glass, and their ability to catch the light makes them beautiful decorative or functional buttons. 

15. Rhinestone Buttons

Rhinestone buttons are beautiful on evening wear and add sparkle and elegance to any outfit. These types of buttons usually have a metal shank on the back for sewing.

16. Enamel Buttons

Enamel buttons are made from metal and coated in enamel in many different colors. While they are often made in shank styles, they can also be 2 or 4-holed. These are mostly found on vintage clothing due to the cost of manufacturing today.

17. Resin Buttons

These types of buttons are made from resin, making them long-lasting with a beautiful shine. The resin can be clear or colored to look opaque and similar to a plastic button.

18. Chinese Knot Buttons

These are different types of buttons in that they are actually made of cord knotted into a ball. A knot button will have a shank at the back and are secured with a thread or fabric loop.

Types of Buttons - Size Comparison

Modern technology enables buttons to be manufactured in every shape you can imagine and in a multitude of sizes. Shapes range from geometric shapes to floral and animal shapes in a variety of colors.

The measurement of buttons is called a "ligne" and originates from the French word meaning line. A ligne is 0.635mm or 0.025 inches.

This is a very small measurement taken across the diameter of the button.  A shaped button needs to be measured across the widest part of the button to get an accurate ligne measurement. 

Knowing the sizes of buttons is important for the clothing industry so that buttons can be standardized and will always fit the garment with accuracy and consistency. Button ligne charts are a useful resource to compare button sizes.

A button size will be written as a number followed by an L. 

Uses of Buttons

Buttons have such a wide variety of uses in clothing, home decor, and even upholstery. Uses include shirts, pants, jeans, sweaters, jackets, coats, quilt covers, cushions, pillows and so many more!

Choose the type of button and size that matches its purpose and decorative function.

Types of Buttons FAQs

What are the three common types of buttons?

The three most common types of buttons are the 2-hole, 4 hole, and shank. A 2-hole button is a flat button with 2 holes in the center. A 4-hole button is also a flat button, but it has 4 holes in the center. Shank buttons are usually domed and have a circular piece of plastic or metal underneath through which to sew.

What are the most common buttons used in clothing?

The most common button used in clothing is a flat button with 2 or 4 holes made from plastic. If you look at any shirt, it will most likely have small buttons in this style. Jackets most commonly have shank buttons, which are domed with a circle (shank) underneath.

Are shank buttons better?

Shank buttons are not any better or worse than flat buttons, but they are used for different purposes. Buttons with shanks are used when you have thicker fabrics and need a bit of height. They are commonly used in jackets. Flat buttons can be used for thinner fabrics such as those found on shirts and blouses.

Types of Buttons - In Conclusion

Buttons are one of those simple, but necessary items for your sewing room.  Keeping a great supply of buttons in a jar helps the avid seamstress to have a button supply on hand all the time.  You never know when you may need a button for a sewing project.

The next step is sewing the buttons on your project. Here is a quick video from my YouTube channel.

Here are some more button tutorials -

1. How to Sew a Button – 4 holes, 2 holes and shank
2. How to Sew a Buttonhole | Automatic & Manual
3. Hand Sewn Buttonhole
4. How to Sew a Button on a Shirt
5. How to Make Fabric Buttons (Without a kit or machine)
6. Easy Fabric Covered Buttons Tutorial
7. Button Sizes
8. Alternatives to Buttons

Alternatives to Buttons

There are several alternatives to sewing buttons -

• Alternatives to Button
• How to apply Kam Snaps
• Sewing Velcro
• How to Sew a Zipper
• How to Sew a Hook and Eye
• Clothes Fastenings