Sometimes it is all about the little things and can take something good and make it great. Most tailored shirts, in fact most tailored items, will come with plastic buttons. They aren't usually a part of the ensemble that people pay a great deal of attention to. But I say differently, I say that Mother of Pearl or Horn buttons should be on every mans checklist when buying tailored clothing. Why spend good money on a beautiful garment made from a fine fabric if you are going to fasten with plastic. That is why Mother of Pearl comes standard with all Tailor on Ten shirts, a standard that you should expect and I'll tell you why.

Mother of Pearl buttons are the finest, most beautiful buttons that you can buy. Their luster, iridescence and feel is incomparable to anything else. Mother of pearl is otherwise known as nacre and is found on shells such as oysters, freshwater mussels, abalone and trochus.

Mother of pearl is not only used for buttons but also elaborate inlays on watches, our luxury Japanese-made collar stays, jewelry and musical instruments such as guitar fingerboards. As with most caviars, Beluga (at $5,000 a kg!) is usually handled with a spoon made of mother of pearl.

The traditional pearl is made up of nacre, and this is where the name “mother of pearl” comes from. Mother of pearl buttons have been used for centuries famed for their incomparable beauty, durability and class. There is no comparison between mother of pearl buttons and plastic/polyester buttons. A tailored shirt is only as good as its buttons!

In the past, oysters were harvested from the wild, however, now they are commercially grown in a viable and environmentally friendly way.

Mother of Pearl is an exclusive and highly sought after commodity and as such cannot be compared to plastic and polyester. MOP buttons are a premium product, finely crafted, beautifully prepared and a timeless addition to any garment.

A dress shirt traditionally uses size 18L 4 hole buttons for the placket, cuffs and collar as well as pockets and epaulettes. For the sleeve placket (underside of the forearm) and the button-down collar, the buttons used are slightly smaller at 14L. However, if a thicker button is desired, generally slightly smaller buttons are used (16L and 14L).

So when buying your next shirt make sure it comes with the mother of all buttons, or better yet, just visit Tailor on Ten!