The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-12-30
ABOUT BUTTONS.
VIEWED FROM A STANDPOINT OF
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.
Buttons % Great Size and SInsIi-sEi
Grass and of Glass-wond erfuIly
and FearfuUy Made-Z3ut-
tons of To-day.


Tw8nty-tiv. years ago the buttons used OIL
dresses AMI eloaks were made mostly OF
metal SOM in imitation Of silver and some
Of goII. They were Of great size, in fact
quite large. as modern iniivilual but
template Calicoes and chintzss were
adorned in those days with agate buttons
IN all color. puppies ar1 reds predominant
ing. After these, there came in smaller
buttons OF various kinds, among others the
variety known as horn, which had long
run and was very popular At this time,
too, there were worn immense buttons Of
solid pearl through which the prismatic
colors were always shifting, in changing
lights There were nickel buttons, decor
ated with designs Of stars; there were queer,
brass buttons, and glass ones, wonderfully
and fsarfully made. There were conical,
white porcelain buttons the more pointed
the more fashionable; there were brass but
tons in designs of acorns: there were but
tons made OF brass opsn work, over red
lining; these an q myriad Of others made
up the quaint sum OF buttons worl a scors
or so OF years ago
THE CRAZES OF YEARS AGO.
After this small pearl buttons, or SHIRT
buttons, as they were called, came into u e.
They were set very thickly together On
dress fronts, and for time were SO small as
to be scarcely visible. The metal buttons,
too, dspre ciataj perceptibly il the matter
size, the glass ones and porcelain ones as
well, until the rage for small buttons was
as great as tho rage for large ones had been.
About this time there came in craze for
buttons in designs of gooseberries currants,
raspberries, black berries and grapes. Masses
of bright little currants used to fill in the
front of woman's Dress and great black
berries worn On silk attire ussd to half
tempt the unwary into taking bite OF the
luscious fruit. Solil jst balls, too, were
used at this time, AID formed trimming
for dresses not unlike the jets used nova
days. There were also used long jet but
tons, very similar in shaps to a fat, dark
colored worm. Thess were used largely on
dress fronts with braided plastrons and
various other designs and were considered
very recherche, as they were always ex-
pensivs, and required incalculabls time aud
patience to keep than sswed on in place.
There was q time when buttons were nos
considered an essential part of q dress, So
far as harmony OF shade and coloring was
concerned, but that day 10 long since past.
BUTTONS NOW IN FASHION.
The buttons nowadays are selected with
more care, perhaps, than is any other ele-
ment which enters into the makeup of G
costume. The color5 III them must harmon
ia with the body of the dress, down to the
finest shalin-s, and the size must be pro-
portioHed according to the style OF goods
used and the design of toilet followed.
Street snits, made OF rough imported cloths,
are now adorned with buttons of enormous
size, mostly in bronze, and decorated with
various designs. Some are made in medal
lion heads, some in landscapes, some in
wheat sheave5; others are made OF she'll,
and ara many-colored and brilliant; still
others ara limitations OF cameo, and others
are a curious mixture of gilt and silver.
These buttons would never do fer house
wear, but wora il thu stfsst on heavy
clothes they ara quite appropriate and very
stylish. They are decidedly expensive, and
their only rivals are the novel bronze
buckles, some of waica co ~ il ID .I5jtui
designs of locust leav an ar ui,t2 -
serve the same purpo as batson
The old-fashioned butt In-.u i G %
fashionable, have been ravIv4i g. n
crochst buttons, and will b: Use - IL
son on black cloth and six suits ) nall
crochet buttons and fiat silk ,ov2H't Dat
tons ara always preferred by mole sonen,
and SO ara always used to q great * ent.
The gaudieSt buttons usel are the big gilt
ones, which are usually affected b. school,
girls and very young ladies. Handsome
bronze buttons are the rage AM Will prob
ably continue to be So judging from / re- emit
appearances