Leather buttons and pulls belong on tweed, shearling, and anything trying to look like it was inherited rather than bought. Ours include woven-look leather shanks, rivet-detailed zipper tabs, and classic football-pattern designs from the 1970s and 80s. Real leather ages with the garment, darkening and softening in a way imitation never does. Small matched packs; sizes and counts on every listing.
Leather Buttons: For Garments That Age Well
Leather buttons belong to a specific and wonderful universe: tweed jackets with elbow patches, shearling coats, chunky cardigans, hunting wear — clothes designed to get better as they age. Real leather does the same, darkening and softening with handling in a way imitation never manages. Our vintage pieces include the classic woven 'football' pattern shanks, rivet-detailed tabs, and plain wrapped designs from the 1970s–80s.
The woven-pattern leather shank is the icon — if you picture a professor's tweed jacket, you are picturing these. They run 15–25 mm and pair almost exclusively with textured natural fabrics; on smooth synthetics they look lost. Sew with strong thread and a thread shank for thick tweeds.
They complete the heritage wardrobe alongside wood and corozo and antique brass.
Vintage Leather Buttons — Questions, Answered
Are these real leather or imitation?
Listings state which — the archive holds both genuine leather (ages, darkens, softens) and vintage leather-look designs (more uniform, washable). For tweed restoration, genuine is worth it.
Can leather buttons get wet?
Rain is fine; washing machines are not kind to genuine leather. Dry-clean garments with leather buttons, or remove them for laundering — the tailor's habit for a reason.
What is the woven football-pattern button called?
Usually just 'leather knot' or 'football' buttons — strips woven over a dome form. They have closed tweed jackets for a century and remain the pattern to match for restoration.
What size for a tweed jacket?
Fronts take 20–23 mm, cuffs 15 mm — the traditional sport-coat setup. Our packs list sizes; many include both.
