Ooh the Tudor Tailor ones are so preety though!

Before sewing them on your dublet perhaps a nice touch of clear fingernail polish on the eyelet, stem and underside of the button would help.

you know.. putting precious buttons on the way the MoL buttons have been put on is pretty smart.. That way they can be easily removed for when the garment is cleaned. You could also button on the buttons.. sew buttons together with their shanks butted & create buttonholes.. dunno if that's historicaly accurate.. but it's an idea.

Ooh! Thank you for the most indepth info.

I had seen the pweter buttons on the leather jerkin in Pof, which is what inspired me. Though I was primarily thinking that pewter butons would be kinder to my modern wallet rather than brass ones. I may just settle for period-looking metal buttons in a brass or silver color, depending on what I find.

Hmm now I feel inspired(insane?) to make some thread worked buttons...

It's a black wool doublet, and black buttons sound boring on that. Any evidence for colorful(or metallic) thread worked buttons?

Luna,

On metal buttons:

Both gold and silver buttons would be appropriate for a black doublet, on the evidence of period artwork. Gold seems to be more common, and a Moroni portrait sometimes called "Gentle Cavalier" shows a black doublet with gold buttons and gold lace trim. If you use something similar to the examples discussed above, such as a ball shape, etc., you would be pretty safe. Brass would also work, as we have actual brass examples from the 16th c. Florida sites.

The pewter buttons you provided the link to are also good and the sunken wire shank means they will not tend to droop. The faceted shape I have not seen in an original, but perhaps its in keeping with the time.

The buttons Deena posted (thanks for that link, have not seen it before) look really nice for 1750 Lake Champlain, but unfortunately flat faced 18th century buttons are very different from the rounded 16th century examples. However they would be ideal for later reconstructions.

On thread buttons:

Thread buttons were probably the most common type used then (next to cloth ball), and the most underrepresented in modern reconstruction. They were used on every level of garment from posh to scum. They look neat, are cheap to make and not hard to make, although they take time. They can also be as simple or elaborate as you want to make them, and there are several different ways.

There is a demonstration in the Tudor Tailor, and the booklet "Headwear, Footwear and Trimmings" by Robert Morris (Peachy Press) gives several others (be careful here, I'm advised by another eminent British authority that Peachy books have drawbacks, but the button data looks sound). Also, I think a few websites have examples of how to make them. The simplest is just thread wrapped around a wooden bead.

For a black doublet, consider using two colors of thread - black with gold or yellow or silver. The basic button would be black with the gold/silver/yellow thread in patterns as you wish. Very sharp and period.

Kimiko's comment about contrasting finishes like gloss on matt is exactly right - this was very popular and especially with black on black where the various black materials did the work. The black wool doublet and hose in my photo section, from the V&A, shows glossy black buttons contrasting with the (now faded) black wool.

On black doublet finishes and trims:

Most portraits showing black doublets use black on black, or gold trim on black, such as the Moroni portrait. Black was a serious color, worn with gravitas, so the fancy colored linings and trim used on other garments does not show up very often in black examples. Gold or silver is generally the only type of trim considered appropriate (Kimiko's red buttoned doublet is testimony to her verve and aplomb, which I sure don't have).

All told, you can use the silvery pewter buttons, gold buttons or black thread buttons with possible gold or silver thread detailing and have a very fine looking piece of work.

Hope this helps,

H

I ordered some of these from them a couple of years ago. They got them to me... eventually.

Nice source... and they have basic aglets, too!