'Men\'s clothing in the 1700s tended to have lots of buttons, and since metal buttons could be expensive, customers would often request that the tailor make them out of the leftover fabric, or cabbage. It wasn\'t necessarily a \"cheap\" look-- embroidered waistcoats and court suits would often have embroidery for the buttons included in the design-- but metal buttons also gave a certain military flair, since they were the most common type used on uniforms. Buttons made from fabric or thread were more peaceful, civilized look. They\'re also more pleasant in cold weather. In this video I am making buttons for a working man\'s jacket of coarse brown wool broadcloth, for use at 1770s events. \"Broadcloth\" referred to a wool fabric that has been fulled, or felted, so that it is thicker, warmer, and will not fray. It came in various grades and thicknesses, and was priced according to its quality.   The wooden forms I am using are from here: https://www.burnleyandtrowbridge.com/buttonmoulds.aspx Extant button forms are made of wood, bone, or even cardboard. Estate inventories show that tailors would keep a quantity of forms on hand in different sizes, and it is likely that the customer would pay a bit extra for button-covering. There is some evidence that money or messages might have been hidden inside buttons, and I know people who have used coins as button forms.   Check out my Instagram (angryhistoryguy) for progress images of whatever I am up to, and my Wordpress blog (also angryhistoryguy) for articles about history and clothing.' 

Tags: tutorial , menswear , button , buttons , 18th century , men's wear , historical sewing , historical clothing , 1700s , fabric buttons , historical menswear , button tutorial , covered buttons , historical men's wear

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