Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-05
NEW BUTTONS FOR SPRING.
Intended More for Decoration Than for
Useful Purposes.

useful purposes.
Buttons for wear during the coming
spring are of beautiful materials and are
works of art, intended more for decorative
than for useful purposes.
Buttons vary as much In size style and
materials as the gowns which they TRIM
tut there is very general fancy for en-
broidered buttons to match the trimming
upon gown. ~
Embroidered buttons are long and oval
or round, and come in many sizes OF these
two shapes. The shape is selected more
for the purpose of allowing suitable space
for the decorative figure than anything
else. A small wreath with tiny lowered
or plain center naturally looks best upon
round button. while a spray of minute how-
ers is best shown upon an oblong button
Some Of the larger oblong buttons have a
wreath border and spray center, and some
of the round buttons a large flower in the
middle and little buds and leaves surround
ing it.
The flowers upon buttons are usually
worked in pompadour effects; that Is, sew
eral delicate colors are blended in the pat
tern, with one color standing out more
strongly than the others. Sometimes the
entire button is covered with embroidery
in several shades of one color.
Gold is often introduced in the embroid-
effect of bringing the other colors into re-
lief.
A woman could cover wooden button
forms with scraps of her gown. and quickly
embroider a few tiny flowers or dots In
several colors upon the top. The shapes
are full and curved, not fiat. Only buttons
of heavy dress materials are fiat, or some
of the beaten metal buttons.
Besides embroidered buttons In SILK.
SATIN linen and crepe and cross stitch,
French knot and Swedish stitched buttons.
there are all sorts of buttons made of real
and imitation jewels, of beaten gold. silver
and gun metal figures of wrought brass
and steel. and combinations of brass and
steel.
Many of the new buttons look like gold.
silver or gun metal marbles, or even col
side with fancy frame of rhinestones or
colored glass stones, or with steel spikes or
brass spikes. The spikes are small, and
resemble the big spiked balls seen old
armor.
In flatter shapes come wrought metal but
tons of every sort Of popular metal in
decorative figures with and without colored
stones. Green, red and yellow stones ap-
pear to be favorites in button decoration,
except that rhinestones are more popular
| than any.
For dress occasions, buttons of real or
| imitation pearls and rhinestones combined
are fashionable. The rhinestone and the
J pearl are now popular in all the buttons
| upon which they can be used, and steel,
| combined with rhinestone trimming, is
| seen a great deal
| Some of the daintiest forms of buttons
are the hand-painted porcelain buttons of
| various sizes. framed in metal or jewels
| These are either round or oval, with only a
| slight curve to the top. are richly painted
| by good artists, and may be either deco
| rated with floral or landscape designs, or
reflect the features of the wearer's pretti-
| est ancestors in miniature form.
Painted porcelain buttons are particu-
| larly appropriate to the lowered and
! founced old-fashioned frocks that are COM
| ing into vogue, while the more expensive
| buttons of carved ivory seem better suited
| to wear with costly materials.
| Carved ivory buttons are the fad. and
| represent workmanship both fine and beau
| tiful. Japanese crystal balls, set in one of
| the precious metals. are also fashionable,
| and oriental netsukis are among the rare
| and odd buttons with which society women
decorate their garments.