Gift It: Buttons.

Buttons make everything better. Pinning something great to a great thing can only make the great thing great squared, right? Basic intermediate math laws don't lie. I have a couple of cute buttons that I make good use of. I pin them to my coats or I hook them onto a necklace, or I bobbypin them into my hair and I swear they always make things better. Therefore, I think they are the ideal gift to give; it's as if you are giving better to someone. Plus, besides for being useful as all heck they are not permanent. Sick of a buton? Just open the latch and set it free from your garment. A great place to find buttons is Etsy. There they are made by crafty mofos who love to make things and deserve to make a living as well. One of my favorite button makers? Caitlin Kuhwald. She's a talented illustrator who makes her big, beautiful works into bitesize buttons for you to not eat. Don't eat them...wear them.

The Queen big, The Queen lil.



Various creatures, cute as buttons.

Ira Glass big size, Ira Glass bitesize. You know you have someone in your life who lurves Ira.

Individual buttons will run you $1.50, pairs will cost you $3.00, and variety packs will be $5.00. Perfect stocking stuffers, right? While you are perusing the buttons from Ms. Kuhwald, please check out her amazing illustrations and paintings. She's good. Real good. Here, I'll show you some:

So talented. You can purchase prints of her work for about $30 each. Check out her full shop here.

The Girl's Got Moxie

One day, when I was bored I was perusing Etsy for sellers in random locations. I was hoping I'd stumble on some more home-bred (like white bread, only better for you!) models, but I found something even better in Nebraska. Moxiephotodesign is a great little shop run out of Seward, Nebraska by Leah. I love, love, love her snaps and her graphic design sense. She takes original photos, vintage found images, and text and turns them into the best things.

She does badges:



Magnets:



Journals:



And much more. Pick from existing images for your products, or make a request for something similar to what you see above. The images are culled from old year books, fashion magazines, and photo books, so there are plenty more where these came from. Ms. Moxie also has a blog that is highly entertaining. She's fun. I think you'll like her and her wares as much as I do.

Click any image for ordering information and a closer look.

Gift It: Button Up!

Mark Pawson makes buttons, or badges as the kids say in London. I'm a big fan of badges. They are a transitory accessory that can be used to perk up your more permanent fashion statements, like your winter coat, your nicer leather bag, or your boots. Can you stick a pin through it? Then you can badge it. Pawson makes makes his buttons out of many things: old price tags, photos of homes, airmail envelopes.

My favorite group of buttons is a series that Pawson made out of his own favorite shirts. When his Westwood and Paul Smiths were worn too thin, he made mini-badges out of the fabrics and packaged them in sets of four. Pawson tells his shoppers the shirt stories on his site. Order a batch of badges and then click below to read their life story.

If you don't mind a pin prick in your items, you can stick it to your wardrobe as much as you want with Pawson's clever little badges. Scoop them up for friends and family or yourself. They are coming from London so a package will run you about $8.

Pawson makes all kinds of art. Earlier this year he showed a sampling at the kooky cool Tatty Devine store. I quite enjoyed this virtual float through the store's preview of Mark's work.

Cliches abound (art gallery babies, asymmetrical hair cuts, handlebar mustaches) but it looks like fun.

All images from Pawson's web page.

Cheap Thrill: The Easiest Button to Button

Do you need a wardrobe update that won't empty your pockets? Of course you do. Grab your favorite button-closeure clothing item and give it a fresh start, just like this gentleman featured on Face Hunter.

New York is loaded with great button stores that have more toggles, frogs, snaps, and buckles than you could ever need. My personal button haven is M&J Buttons on Sixth Avenue. Pick out your favorites and swap the new for the old.

Don't know how to sew on a button? Here's a little tutorial.

I want to button up.

When buttons are this beautiful,

who wouldn't want some cold weather to brace against?