I bought this coat at Express over the weekend, and I love it, but there's one small problem - it only has 3 buttons and therefore the coat is somewhat open around my waist and down. I live in Chicago - so this morning, I was freezing! If I take it to my tailor, I know she can sew an extra button on (thank god they gave me extra), but will she be able to sew the button hole and make it look nice? Anyone know? I really want to keep the coat, but I need it to close more.
Any tailor worth their salt should be able to nicely sew a button hole, and there shouldn't be a problem matching it to the size/shape of the others. No worries IMO!
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Any tailor worth their salt should be able to nicely sew a button hole, and there shouldn't be a problem matching it to the size/shape of the others. No worries IMO!
I had buttons added to a winter coat, and learned something v. important frrom the tailor. Be sure the new buttons are the same space/distance apart as the existing ones so it looks like they've always been there and weren't an add-on.
easily fixable.. and i would check the other buttons as well.. b/c express buttons tend to be sewn on very poorly, so if you are going to the tailor maybe have him/her reinforce them as well!
if you don't want to add another buttonhole aesthetically speaking (plus you might need that extra button!) just sew in some snaps on the inside of the coat where the buttons end- space them like the buttons. use the pretty big snaps- maybe 3/4" across and test them to make sure they come apart pretty easily. super easy.
I second Lynnie's suggestion of using larger snaps instead of another button. Sometimes adding another button/hole will kind of mess up the line of a garment, and snaps might work better.
I think that's a great coat, BTW, and I totally understand your needing it to be more closed. I've only visited Chicago once, in late April, and I froze the entire time!!
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I would definitely go with the snaps, if anything at all. The tailor would be able to make a nice looking button hole but it would mess up the line of the garment to add another button. I tried to make a snazzy diagram but couldn't so here is my best explanation why the snaps idea is better. Snaps on the inside can be placed closer to the edge of the coat. (edge going down your middle) They don't have to be in-line with the pre-existing buttons. If the coat is open and the wind isn't blowing it open it probably means that there isn't enough fabric for a third button to be there anyways, and if you put one there and there isn't enough fabric then you will get puckering in the front, and bunching above the puckering. (think side of hips/love handle area) I am thinking even if there is enough fabric, you will be pulling the fabric when you walk and get the pucker/bunch effect anyways. If you do the snaps, since they are independent from the buttons, you can place them exactly where the fabric of the jacket naturally falls when it's not open, even if that happens to be very close to the edge finishing. It's not guaranteed to work, but at least if it doesn't you won't have a hole in your jacket. I was wondering, does the jacket splay open when you are just standing? Or is it when you are walking? Do you need to pull the jacket to get it to close the way you want?
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