Buttons & Buttonholes
While buttons and buttonholes may look like simple finishing details, improper spacing, wrong orientation, or incorrect sizing can cause plackets to gap open, collar bands to choke, or buttonholes to stretch out prematurely.
1. Calculating Buttonhole Length
A buttonhole must be cut long enough to allow the button to pass through effortlessly without stretching the fabric, but not so loose that the garment falls open during wear.
Standard Sizing Rules
-
Standard Flat Buttons (2-hole / 4-hole):
- Measure the maximum outer diameter and add 1/8" (3 mm) for standard button thickness and movement ease.
- Example: For a 1/2" (12 mm) flat shirt button:
- Length = 1/2" + 1/8" = 5/8" (12 mm + 3 mm = 15 mm)
-
High-Dome, Ball, or Thick Shank Buttons:
- Chunky and shanked buttons require additional depth clearance. Wrap a narrow slip of paper around the thickest part of the button, pin it snugly, and flatten the loop to measure the exact opening width required.
- Calculation: Full Diameter + Button Height (thickness) + 1/8" (3 mm) clearance.
-
Heavy or Lofty Fabrics (Wool, Tweed, Fleece):
- When sewing through multiple layers of bulky fabric, add an extra 1/16" to 1/8" (1.5 to 3 mm) to the calculated slit length to account for the take-up of thick textiles around the button shank.
2. Horizontal vs. Vertical Buttonhole Orientation
The orientation of a buttonhole determines how it behaves under mechanical stress and lateral body movement.
| Orientation | Primary Applications | Mechanical Behavior | Alignment Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal | Neckbands/collars, cuffs, waistbands, jackets, and fitted coats | Resists lateral tension. As the body moves, the button shank pulls into the finished end without forcing the slit open. | Crosses the Center Line. The outer end extends 1/8" (3 mm) past the Center Line toward the finished fold/edge. See explanation below. |
| Vertical | Standard shirt plackets, blouses, loose tunics, decorative closures | Maintains a clean, narrow vertical line down the placket where lateral pull is minimal. | Placed directly along the Center Line. |
The Horizontal Alignment Rule
When horizontal buttonholes are fastened, pulling tension shifts the button toward the outer edge of the garment.
If a horizontal buttonhole were centered directly on the Center Front line, the button shank would slide outward under tension, dragging the underlap off-center and skewing the neckline.
Calculating Button Distribution
Locate the following points along the center line.
- Collar Point
- Bust Point
- Waist/Hem Point
Now you can calculate the spacing for your buttons.
- Measure the vertical distance between the Collar Point and the Bust Point.
- Measure the distance between the Bust Point and the Waist/Hem Point.
- Space intermediate buttons evenly within those zones (typically 2-1/2" to 3-1/2" (64 to 89 mm) apart on shirts and blouses, or 3-1/2" to 5" (89 to 127 mm) on outerwear).
Place a button directly at the bust line; placing buttons only above and below it causes the garment to pull and gape open..
4. Mixed Orientations on a Single Garment
Many classic garments use a combination of horizontal and vertical closures on the same placket:
- Classic Dress Shirts: Feature a horizontal buttonhole on the collar stand (to withstand neck tension) and on the cuffs, but vertical buttonholes down the front placket band.
- Bottom Placket Buttonholes: The bottom-most buttonhole on a shirt placket is often turned horizontally to accommodate the lateral strain of sitting and hip movement.
Traditionally, lapped closures are oriented differently based on gender: women's garments lap right over left (buttons on the wearer's left, buttonholes on the right), while men's garments lap left over right (buttons on the wearer's right, buttonholes on the left). With the rise of unisex and modern apparel, these rules are largely optional. Choose the orientation that best suits your design.
Using PatternMaker Pro
PatternMaker Pro makes button and buttonhole markings automatically. You can differ the rotation and spacing on the collar and hem buttons, too. The Add Buttons/Buttonholes tool manual page explains all the options.