How to replace a shirt button
The first form of repair a shirt will likely require is a new button. There are two kinds of buttons on a dress shirt. The front placket buttons and the gauntlet buttons. The front placket buttons are larger and represent most of the buttons on your shirt. The gauntlet buttons are on each sleeve opening and so there are two of them in total, one for each sleeve. When it comes to identifying a suitable replacement, you should start by looking at the bottom of the shirt either inside the front placket or by the tag. Most shirtmakers include a spare button there. Although some either won’t or you may have already used it for previous repairs. Ideally there should be two spare buttons one for the front placket and the other for the sleeve placket. Some shirtmakers will only include a front placket button. We always include both for the shirts we make, as sustainability is at the core of our business model.
If you don’t have a spare button that comes with the shirt you can use any similar button. There are a few things to look out for. You want the spare button you use to match the other buttons on the placket in size, tone and whether it is a two-hole or four-hole buttons. Generally, four-hole buttons are more common as they are sturdier and provide for a firmer attachment which means they fall off less often. These are not strict requirements but make for aesthetic consistency. If you are concerned about these but don’t have a matching button there is a workaround. If you are trying to sew a button onto a part of the shirt that is visible for example the button on the collar, you can use a button from the bottom of the shirt where you would presumably tuck it in. You then take the replacement button you are using and sew it to the bottom of the shirt. That way the buttons that are visible will all be the original buttons used to make the shirt. For the sleeve placket these buttons are not visually next to any other buttons so you have a little more latitude.
As far as thread choice is concerned, most shirts use white thread for sewing the button. However, if you have a shirt with a different color thread used for sewing the button simply match the thread color. Threads come in standard colors and therefore are much easier to match than fabrics.
Once you have found a suitable replacement button and thread, the sewing begins. Most accessibly you can sew the button on by hand. For a four-hole button you should do the following. Start by threading the needle and tying a knot the ends of the thread. Then position the button on the shirt at the location you want to sew it on. For replacing an existing button this is very straightforward as you simply need to put the button where the previous one was located. There should be some threads marking where the old button was located exactly. Insert the button through the back of the shirt and through the button. You’ll want to place a pin on top of the button at this point. The rationale for doing so is to provide slack in the thread which will make it easier to fasten. This also reduced stress on the stitches and allows for better movement. The sturdiness of the thread used will also be a factor. Shank buttons are even sturdier but are mainly used for heavier garments, not shirts. Sew over the pin and then back down the opposite hole you sewed up from. Then repeat the stitch through the other two holes. You should repeat this several times alternating between the different two-hole pairs on a four-hole button. For a two-hole button instead of alternating you would just use the same pair each time. You can then remove the pin, tighten the thread and cut it at the back about 0.5cm from the shirt fabric. There is no need to tie an additional knot. Having sewn the button so many times will be sufficient to fasten it in place.
Alternatively, you can use a sewing machine to sew a button on. If you happen to have a sewing machine lying around many sewing machines have pre-programmed settings that let you easily stitch a button in place. Start by removing the presser foot and lowering the feed dogs. If you have a button presser foot you can use it to hold the button in place. Position the button on the shirt at the location you wish to attach it. You want to make sure it is aligned with the buttonhole and the other buttons on the shirt. If sewing multiple buttons, it may be helpful to mark the positions with a fabric marker or tailor’s chalk. In terms of calibrating the settings on your sewing machine you’ll want to select the zigzag stitch with a length of 3.0 and a width of 0.2. You want the width set to the minimum so that your sewing machine only sews back and forth between the button holes without moving forward. A pro tip is to always sew on a scrap piece of fabric first to ensure you have the correct settings on the sewing machine. Secure the button in the presser foot and ensure the needle is positioned over one of the buttonholes. If the button does no go through both holes adjust the stitch length. Make the stitch length longer if the needle comes down too close to the second hole or make it shorter if the needle comes down outside the second hole. Go slowly at first to make sure the needle passes through both holes without being obstructed by the button. Only when certain then sew it multiple times, eight being recommended. To make sure you go slowly you can also sew only using the hand crank. Cut the loose thread 0.5cm from the shirt fabric.
For a four-hole button using a sewing machine the main difference is that you’ll want to create an X pattern. To do so you’ll rotate the button 90 degrees once you have sewn the first set of stitching and follow the same process again for the second line.
And voila, you have a brand new button on your shirt.
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