IS THE BUTTON as a fashion accessory still relevant? While probably declining in use, the button is still noticeable in men’s shirts, especially those sporting azaleas and waves for parties with a Hawaiian theme.
As a fastener, the button is noticed only when it doesn’t work. The awful moment when the button disconnects is called a “wardrobe malfunction.” The slipping of a top button or two, especially on a woman’s blouse can reveal more than the intended glimpse of skin. Such button mishaps can land on the internet to the embarrassment of a celebrity as the moment is posted and then shared.
Anyway, the zipper has taken up much of the task of fastening wardrobe closures. Even in colloquial speech, the plea for silence is no longer expressed as “button up” (now limited to its more literal meaning of fastening a shirt). Instead, the exhortation to keep quiet is caught better with the phrase “zip it.” Hence the zipper has acquired the primary position in the matter of keeping the upper and lower lips closed, not always in a smile. More current, is the expression that only asks for a debate event to push through: “If you have something to say, say it to my face.”
For informal attire like denim pants for men, the button is still resorted to as a fastener for the waistline. The front is just usually zipped. The buttoned-up front for men may present a distinct benefit for those with buttery fingers who are assailed by anxiety attacks after peeing when they tuck back the urinary tract and have fears of not quite fully succeeding in timing the zip-up. There is a hidden fear of zipping up too soon, catching in the teeth of the zipper some delicate skin overhang. Freeing it from this bite can be even more of a teeth clencher.
The zipped-up pants however offer speed in dressing up for both gents and ladies. The latter group wears closed fronts anyway as the pants are hoisted down for the required toilet break.
The button functions as an effective closer when paired with the right buttonhole. The button’s size and thickness must also match its buttonhole. If the latter is too tight, the button makes the process of insertion difficult if not impossible. If too loose, the garment will keep unfastening, resulting in embarrassing situations (see “wardrobe malfunction” above). The snug fit too requires an exact positioning of the button to its appropriate hole. A misalignment is sure to call attention to the exposed skin. The button is a metaphor for a good relationship. But let’s not go there.
Buttons and how they are worn can be a form of non-verbal communications.
The hunk that leaves three top buttons open showing chest hair or rib cages is meant to be a plea for attention — Sir, you need to button up. Misinterpreting intent here is likely to get one slapped, whether inside a karaoke bar or not. Still, it is a friendly gesture, though not an open invitation. This is true of both unbuttoned females as well. Such button exercises do not always appeal to the opposite sex.
Office attire has gone casual, not just for those working from home. Still, coats, if these are still the preferred attire, can be more informal when one moves beyond the traditional two buttons. The Mao suit, which is buttoned up all the way to the neck with its distinct stand-up collar, may use all of eight to 10 buttons. Not even Maoists have stayed with this buttoned-up fashion, especially when paired with crew cuts and marching exercises in the morning at some local subdivisions.
Buttons are the last barrier for civil manners. When one is asked to unbutton, it may be assumed that this is not just an invitation for the lips to loosen up. One must make sure that one heard right. (Did you say “unbutton,” Miss?) The phrase may have been misheard through the loud music as “unbutton me” may be just an innocent commentary on an Olympic event like the relay race — the baton please.
Anyway, advanced age and the onset of arthritis makes buttoning and unbuttoning a difficult chore. For the most part, fingers may be good merely for pointing — she went that way.
Tony Samson is chairman and CEO of TOUCH xda
