Buttons & Buttonholes
Buttons and buttonholes look like a simple finishing detail, but the wrong spacing, direction or size makes a placket gape, a collar band choke, or a buttonhole stretch out too soon.
Buttonhole Length
A buttonhole has to be long enough for the button to slide through without stretching the fabric, and short enough that the garment stays closed.
Flat Buttons
For a flat button (2-hole or 4-hole), measure the widest part across the button and add 1/8" (3 mm).
A 1/2" (12 mm) flat shirt button: 1/2" + 1/8" = 5/8" (12 mm + 3 mm = 15 mm).
Domed, Ball and Shank Buttons
A chunky button needs more room. Wrap a narrow slip of paper around the thickest part of the button, pin it snugly, flatten the loop, and measure it. As a formula: full diameter + button height + 1/8" (3 mm). For an odd shape, the simplest test is to cut a slit in a scrap of your fabric and push the button through.
Heavy or Lofty Fabric
Wool, tweed and fleece take up room around the button. Add 1/16" to 1/8" (1.5 to 3 mm) to the length.
Horizontal or Vertical
The direction of a buttonhole decides how it behaves when you move.
| Direction | Best For | How It Behaves | Where It Goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal | Collars and neckbands, cuffs, waistbands, jackets, fitted coats | Resists sideways pull. The button slides into the closed end of the slit and does not force it open. | Crosses the center line, with the outer end 1/8" (3 mm) past it toward the finished edge. |
| Vertical | Shirt plackets, blouses, loose tunics, decorative closures | Keeps a clean, narrow line down the placket where sideways pull is small. | Directly on the center line. |
Vertical buttonholes work on a firm placket. On a narrow band they tend to gape and look untidy, so use horizontal buttonholes there.
Where the Horizontal Buttonhole Goes
When a horizontal buttonhole is fastened, the button slides to the end of the slit nearest the edge. So the button sits at that end, not in the middle. If you centered the buttonhole on the center front line, the button would slide outward, drag the underlap off center and twist the neckline.
The usual drafting method is to put the end of the buttonhole about 1/8" (3 mm) past the center front line. The center of the button then sits 1/8" (3 mm) in from that end, which puts it right on the center line. Sewing instructions often say it a little differently, with the button center at the end of the buttonhole nearest the edge, directly on the center line. Either way, the button ends up on the center line.
A vertical buttonhole works differently. The button sits just under the top end of the slit, about 1/8" (3 mm) down, still on the center line.
The extension that holds the buttons is on the Fastener Extensions page.
Spacing the Buttons
Mark the key points along the center line:
- Collar point
- Bust point
- Waist or hem point
Then work out the spacing.
- First buttonhole: Place it down from the neckline edge by half the button diameter plus 1/4" (6 mm).
- First and last: Mark these two first, then divide the space between them evenly for the rest.
- In between: Typical spacing is 2 1/2" to 3 1/2" (64 to 89 mm) on shirts and blouses, and 3 1/2" to 5" (89 to 127 mm) on outerwear.
- Adjust for the bust: Move buttons so one lands as near to the bust level as you can, even if the spacing is not perfectly even.
Place a button right at the bust line. If buttons sit only above and below it, the garment pulls and gapes open between them.
If a gap still opens between buttons, close it with a covered snap. If the garment has a belt, keep the nearest buttonholes at least 1 1/2" (38 mm) above and below the belt width. At the waist of an unbelted, fitted jacket or coat, add a button.
Mixing Directions on One Garment
Many classic garments use both directions on the same piece:
- Dress shirts: Horizontal buttonholes on the collar stand and cuffs, where there is tension, and vertical ones down the front placket.
- Bottom buttonhole: On a shirt placket, the last one is often turned horizontal to take the sideways strain of sitting and hip movement.
Women's garments traditionally lap right over left, with the buttons on the wearer's left and the buttonholes on the right. Men's garments traditionally lap the other way. With unisex and modern clothing, these rules are mostly optional. Choose what suits your design.
Using PatternMaker Pro
PatternMaker Pro marks buttons and buttonholes for you. You can change the rotation and spacing for the collar and hem buttons, too. The Add Buttons/Buttonholes tool manual page explains every option.