LITTLE ROCK — Q. I have a double-breasted blue blazer that is exceptional. However, I have never liked brass or other metal buttons. How much difference in dressiness does having dark buttons make? I prefer a conservative look and brass buttons make me feel like Thurston Howell III. Is there any reason not to replace the buttons?
A. I must admit that, although I had an inkling of the type of personality you were describing, it was only after Googling him that I remembered that Thurston Howell III is the fictional billionaire from the old TV show, Gilligan's Island, who is listed as No. 9 on the "Forbes Fictional 15" list of the world's richest characters. (Topping the list is Scrooge McDuck.)
I quite understand your point about the brass buttons on a navy blazer and think that changing them is a fine idea. Certainly, there is nothing really wrong with the classic nautical look of brass buttons, but since you prefer a conservative look, all that metal could project a different image than the one you wish to present. Shiny brass buttons on a blue blazer have a youngish, preppy, sail-boat-captain air that works for certain men and in certain casual situations, but it's not as grown-up or sophisticated as a navy blazer with dark buttons. And you are right; the nonbrass buttons are definitely dressier. However, before you decide to abandon metal buttons entirely, you may find you like the more adult look of goldmonogrammed buttons better than brass ones with embossed anchors.
Most good tailors will have on hand navy blue or black buttons made of fine horn - or at least ones made of plastic that look like horn - that they can sew onto your jacket. But, to be sure you get what you want, it helps to shop for your own buttons and give them to the tailor to sew on. There used to be quality "notions stores" or button shops that carried a full line of buttons. Today, these establishments have become quite rare. Even so, the ones that are still in business offer an extensive array of wonderful buttons to choose from. Check out "Buttons - clothing" in the Yellow Pages for stores near you and try Googling "Blazer Buttons." Another possibility: check old buttons in antique shops.
Besides navy or black buttons, you have a few other options. If you are a great fan of khaki pants or if you own more than one blazer, one possibility is to use brown or tortoise-colored horn buttons. These look great when you wear a navy blazer with khaki or camel pants. Or, if you usually wear your blazerpaired with gray pants, buttons made of metal that is not shiny brass but a subtle smoked pewter make for a nice look. And I have always been fond of substituting mother-of-pearl buttons for spring and summer wear. Theseshould pretty much follow the same not-before-Memorial-Dayor-after-Labor-Day rule. (You must have the patience to take them to the tailor twice a year.) I suggest soft gray mother-of-pearl buttons that are toned down alittle rather than the stark white ones that seem to belong at a resort or aboard a cruise ship.
Another style that I like, but that has become very hard to find, is using dark-colored enamel buttons as blazer buttons.
Although I'm not totally in favor of changing the style of a blazer from a six-button model to a four-button one (especially now when six-button styling is much more popular), some men who like brass buttons, but want a little less shine, just have the top two buttons removed.
Incidentally, all of these same button substitutions work equally as well on single-breasted blazers.
Q. My 10-year-old son is attending his sister's graduation and later this summer we are going to a family wedding. My mother (his grandmother) wants him to "look nice." I'm hoping this is not going to cost a fortune for clothing to be worn on only two occasions. Any suggestions?
A. A blazer is your answer to what will make him "look nice." While it is a bit of an investment, it will take him to the graduation, the wedding, and any other special occasions (including religious events) throughout the year.
Make sure any clothing you buy for a young boy is comfortable and does not look too formal. You want your son to look nice, but he won't be happy if the clothes aren't comfortable. If his shirt has a lot of cotton in it, he will probably feel less restricted. A navy blazer, khaki or graypants, a nice Oxford cloth shirt, and a silk or cotton tie make a good-looking combination. He can take the jacket off after the ceremony and feel more like his own sweet sloppy self.
Shoes are where you might have your biggest argument. He probably wants to wear sneakers and you and his grandmother want him to wear a nice penny loafer. A pair of buck shoes or even new brown deck shoes can be a reasonable compromise.
Since most boys' navy blazers look very much alike and since young boys are very likely to take the jacket off as soon as they possibly can, I have a suggestion based on a story I heard about a lost jacket. When my friend's son went to retrieve his jacket at the end of the party he was attending, the only one that was left was an identical jacket in a too-small size. It might help to sew a name tag inside or you can use a magic marker to write his initials on the label.
The blazer may not be essential. Depending upon how formal the wedding is and what time of day it will be, a 10-year-old might be able to get away with wearing a really nice crew-neck or V-neck sweater instead of a blazer as long as he wears it with a nice shirt and perhaps a tie. But blazers are versatile enough to wear for any special occasion that crops up all year long and to dress up whatever else he is wearing.
Send your questions for Male Call to: lois.fenton@prodigy.net
High Profile, Pages 61 on 05/18/2008