What buttons are made of: plastic, shell, coconut, wood, metal look

A shell, coconut or wooden button looks different from a plastic one, and each takes washing and ironing differently. The material decides how the garment looks, how long the closure lasts and how to care for it. Here is what buttons are made of, why each material behaves the way it does, its strengths and weaknesses, and which garments it suits best.

Left to right: pearlescent plastic, natural shell, coconut, wood, metal-look plastic.

What the material affects

• Look. Natural materials have a unique pattern and depth of color; plastic comes in any color and shape.
• Strength. Some materials are flexible and do not chip, others are hard but brittle on impact.
• Weight and feel. Shell is heavier and cool to the touch; coconut and wood are light and warm.
• Care. The material decides whether a garment can go in the machine, be ironed over the buttons or be dry cleaned.
• Price. Natural buttons cost more because each one is cut and polished separately.

Plastic

The most common material: light, strong, any color, shape and texture, from classic shirt buttons to decorative patterned ones. Most plastic buttons are cast from polyester resin: pearl pigment, veining or texture can go into the mould, so plastic imitates mother-of-pearl, horn, marble and even wood.

Why people choose it. Plastic does not absorb water, is not harmed by detergents and does not chip when it knocks against the drum, so plastic buttons take machine washing and ironing at a moderate temperature in their stride. Plastic buttons can be dyed to exactly match your fabric: we do this from your sample as part of our dyeing service.

• Pros: the widest choice of colors and shapes, light, washable, affordable.
• Cons: a hot iron pressed on it can dull or melt it; next to natural materials it looks plainer.
• Use for: shirts, children's and workwear, coats, suits, anything washed often.

• White pearlescent decorative, textured «Wood cut»

Shell (natural mother-of-pearl)

Cut from a seashell: every button has its own living lustre, so no two are alike. Mother-of-pearl is made of thin layers of calcium carbonate, and light passing through them gives the deep lustre that plastic only imitates. The classic for men's shirts and linen.

Why it needs care. Shell is strong but dislikes knocks and a hot iron pressed on it: iron around the button or through a cloth and avoid bleach. Calcium carbonate is attacked by acids and chlorine, so vinegar, lemon juice and chlorine bleach turn mother-of-pearl dull. A hard knock or a sudden temperature change can crack it.

• Pros: a unique natural lustre, an elegant look, a pleasant weight, long life with gentle care.
• Cons: higher price, sensitive to chlorine, acids and knocks, each button differs slightly in shade.
• Use for: shirts, blouses, linen dresses, evening and festive wear.

• Natural shell

Coconut

Made from coconut shell: a warm brown color, natural grain, matte texture. The shell is very hard; it is cut into discs, drilled and polished, so every button has its own fibre pattern. It is a renewable material: the shell is left over from coconut processing.

Why it is practical. Coconut is strong and light; wash at 30-40 °C and do not leave the garment soaking for long. Brief contact with water does no harm, but long soaking and boiling dry the shell out, and it can crack.

• Pros: natural look, light, strong, eco-friendly.
• Cons: only natural brown shades, dislikes long soaking.
• Use for: linen, cotton, knitwear, boho and eco styles, bags.

• Natural coconut, coconut with a rim

Wood

A natural look for cardigans, coats, children's and rustic clothes. Wood is warm to the touch and light, and every button has its own grain, so even matching buttons differ slightly.

Why it dislikes water. Wood absorbs moisture and swells, then shrinks as it dries; after many such cycles a button can crack or warp. Wood dislikes prolonged moisture: wash gently at 30 °C, dry straight away and do not soak. Do not dry the garment on a radiator: sudden drying also harms it. Before washing an expensive garment, wooden buttons can be cut off and sewn back later.

• Pros: warm natural look, light, eco-friendly.
• Cons: dislikes soaking, long washes and radiator drying.
• Use for: knitted cardigans, sweaters, coats, children's clothes, rustic style.

• Wooden with a rim

Metal look

Plastic with a metallic coating looks like metal but is lighter and cheaper. The base of these buttons is plastic, and a thin metal layer is applied on top by vacuum coating or electroplating. So they do not rust, do not feel cold and do not weigh down thin fabric the way real metal does.

Why the coating needs attention. The coating can wear from a hot iron and harsh washing, so iron around the button and wash on a delicate cycle, ideally buttoned up and inside out. Abrasive cleaners and rubbing against zips and other buttons leave scratches.

• Pros: a striking metallic shine, light, rust-free, affordable.
• Cons: the coating can wear off on raised parts over time.
• Use for: blazers, coats, jackets, nautical and military styles, decorative accents.

• Gold metal-look WAGOON Paris

How to tell natural shell from pearl-look plastic

• Temperature: shell is cool to the touch and stays cool in the hand for a while; plastic feels warm at once.
• Weight: a shell button is noticeably heavier than a plastic one of the same size.
• Lustre: in shell it is deep and different on every button; in plastic it is the same across the batch.
• Sound: tap the button lightly on glass: shell rings like stone, plastic sounds dull.

Comparison

Which material for which garment

General care tips

• Button up and turn the garment inside out before washing: the buttons knock against the drum less.
• Wash garments with natural or metal-look buttons in a laundry bag on a delicate cycle.
• Iron around the buttons or through a cloth, never with the iron on them.
• Before dry cleaning, ask for natural and metal-look buttons to be protected, or cut them off and sew them back after.

Frequently asked questions

Can a natural button be dyed?

We dye plastic buttons and snaps from our catalogue. Natural materials have their own color and pattern, and that is their value.

Why do shell buttons cost more than plastic ones?

Each one is cut from a shell and polished separately, and part of the material is lost as waste. Plastic buttons are cast in batches.

Which buttons last longest?

For frequent washing plastic is the least trouble. Shell and coconut last for years if kept from knocks, chlorine and long soaking.

Where to buy

All these materials are in the Hop.Shop button catalogue, sold by the piece, with a wholesale price from 144 or 200 pieces. To match a button to a garment, see «How to choose buttons», and for sizes in lignes and millimetres, our size chart.