HoleyButtons Blog

"My Grandmother's Basque"

9/18/2018

I don't think I have ever heard the word "basque" in reference to what Wikipedia defines as in Victorian fashion, "a closely-fitted bodice or jacket extending past the waistline over the hips."

But, because I have recently published a book of poems: Haiku for Button Lovers on Amazon, when I came across the poem, "My Grandmother's Basque," in the 1952 book Return Engagement of BLACK Glass Buttons by Caroline Smith and Edith E. Fuoss, I was totally charmed!

The poem was written by Myrtle Eve Stadon and I present it below as it was seen on page 11 of the book.

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What are Vanity Buttons?

9/8/2018

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Vanity buttons are also sometimes called signature buttons or designer buttons. They are patterned with a name, initial or logo, which belongs to an individual, company, event, personality or store.
Vanity buttons started in the 1970s. At first they were used on expensive men's clothing, but before too long were being used on women's and children's clothes.

Collections of vanity buttons can be sorted into six categories, according to Pat Olsen in her NBS Bulletin article:

Designer buttons
Clothing manufacturers
Well-known personalities
Clothing brands
Stores selling clothing with their own identification
Stores selling clothing not of their own brand

Vanity buttons can be marked on the front, back or not-at-all. You can find them in plastic, metal or shell--with 2-holes or 4-holes (Rarely shanks).
Vanity buttons may become scarce in the future! One reason is because clothing is so often just thrown away. In addition, fashion's star designers are aging and dying.

Hunting for these buttons made for a fun Scavenger Hunt for several members of the Hernando County Button Collectors Group in Florida recently. A Goodwill Super Store was our hunting ground!

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