3-hole button

03/4/2026

In 2012, we bought our first sewing machine for $1,200. It was a used Juki LK-1900, purchased from the New York Sewing Machine Company in North Bergen, NJ. We used that machine every day for twelve years.

When we retired the machine in 2024, Robert Ross — one of the last true sewing machine specialists in America — was at our factory. He noticed a small nameplate on the side of the machine.

It read: Property of C.F. Hathaway & Co.

Robert told us he had worked in a Hathaway factory decades ago. He explained that Hathaway was known for a specific, rare detail: the 3-hole button. They were so protective of the design that they famously threatened to sue any competitor who tried to use it.

C.F. Hathaway, once a titan of American shirtmaking, closed in 2002. With their closing, the 3-hole button largely disappeared.

Inspired by the history, we contacted our button supplier in Portugal. We asked if they could help us bring this lost standard back.

Today, we're introducing the 3-hole mother of pearl buttons to our shirt collection.

Mother of Pearl is carved from oyster shells. While the front is polished, the back side reveals the bark of the shell. These iridescent swirls of silver, green, and pink are the fingerprint of the ocean. No two buttons are the same.