Buttons

1. Color. Do the buttons blend or contrast with the outfit? Generally speaking, most buttons on jackets are pretty ordinary. In which case, they should blend in terms of color, texture and brightness. If, for example, you buy a navy blue jacket that has bright white buttons, change them to a subtle navy. You rarely want the buttons to be the first thing someone notices about you.
   
   
2. Size. Are they in proper proportion and balance to your body? An easy way to determine this is to keep them in relative scale to your facial features. Are you 5'2", size 4 with small eyes and a delicate mouth? Keep the buttons small. Are you 5'9", size 12 with big, bright eyes and full lips? Your buttons can be somewhat larger.
   
   
3. Quantity. Sometimes an outfit has many more buttons than are necessary making an outfit look cluttered and busy rather than simple and elegant. It can also make it very difficult to accessorize since the buttons act as an accessory all on their own. Don't be afraid to remove unnecessary buttons — unless they are paired with a buttonhole in which case you are stuck with them.
   
   
4. Usefulness. Think for a moment about the buttons on the cuffs of your jacket sleeves. What possible purpose do they serve? According to my colleague, Carla Mathis (a master image consultant and author of "Triumph of Individual Style"), the buttons on your jacket cuffs have a historical perspective. Many years ago, they were put on the cuffs of men's dress jackets in order to discourage them from wiping their noses on their sleeves. Ooooh, yuck! Thank goodness we've evolved! Again, the buttons on sleeves are often an unnecessary distraction and can be removed (just like the tags on your pillows).
   
   
5. Placement. If you are wearing a one-button jacket, be sure that the button falls right at your waistline, not above and not below. If it doesn't it will look like it was made for someone else — and it probably was! But not to worry. Place a second button at the waist and have button hole made.