BUTTONS

Found in Paris, France

As I wandered through the flea markets in Paris, I noticed a lot of one item…Buttons! Baskets full of buttons. I remember one vendor in particular. “The Button Man” as I referred to him. He had a table full of cardboard boxes each stacked with beautiful sheets of vintage French buttons. As I rummaged through the boxes, it made me wonder about their significance.

Historically, France has a reputation for having “many buttons” because it was once the center of button making. French kings promoted the craft, leading to a high level of artistry and a cultural association of buttons as symbols of wealth and status, often appearing in large quantities on clothing.