Buttons can be fairly easy and affordable to change. I recently did just that to a warm-weather Summer jacket. As far as 100% cotton, utility jackets go, this one was a rare find because of the bright orange colour and fabulous quality. I pounced, despite wishing that the earthy brown tortoiseshell buttons were white, self-colour, or gold. That way I could keep the vibe more crisp than earthy, and wear it with more of my wardrobe in the late Spring and Summer.

I mentioned this to one of my clients who is a talented seamstress and she recommended I go to Stitches in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood. It’s a fabulous store that sells all sorts of supplies for people who sew, including a vast range of buttons. She kindly met me there, and together we chose the best buttons for the look I was after.

A set of self-colour, orange buttons were the hands down winners. Definitely better than the white and gold options I was also considering. We were lucky enough to find the perfect shade of orange in the correct two sizes, and thread to match. They were sewn on in two ticks, and voila! I’m awfully pleased with the results. The jacket is instantly more versatile.

Over to you. Have you successfully changed the buttons of store-bought items? Tell us about it in the comments section.