Buttons with Bling

One interesting trend that can be easily worked into your current wardrobe while we wait for the temperature to go down is jeweled buttons.

They are showing up on typical and not-so-typical garments for fall 2012. A typical garment to have jeweled button would be a party dress or dressy cardigan, but buttons are showing up in both men’s and women’s wear like blazers, shirts, and of course overcoats.

In addition to letting you work a bit of fall right now, these bauble-like buttons let you work several different fashion trends at the same time. Sparkly buttons are perfect for the ladylike trend, and because jeweled buttons have popped in and out of fashion over the years, they let you work the retro trend. Bling is definitely the thing, but if you opt for buttons that are simply ornate, that is perfect for adding a menswear flavor.

“More is better” is the case for this trend. In addition to the buttons being deliberately overly ornate, they are often showing up in double rows, adding the military trend to the mix. Decorative buttons are a nice pop of color for some of the darker colors we are seeing, like burgundy, navy and of course black, but for those of you who are more daring, look for these ornate buttons on garments that are made in vivid prints like brocade, florals, and stripes.

I was not sure about this trend when I first started seeing it come down the runway, but this look is starting to grow on me. What I really like about this trend is it gives just about everything they are on a high-end look. Even if you can’t afford big labels like Prada or Marc Jacobs, you can still work a bit of their style with more affordable brands.

Your first instinct when you’re wearing something with all of these blingy buttons may be to skip the rest of your jewelry; you can, but you don’t have to. Remember, mixing things up is still a hot trend in itself. Just don’t overdo it.

This trend seems to be a big favorite for the girls, but guys, feel free to indulge in this one; lines like Gucci are showing you the way.