Why corozo buttons are my new favorite

If you’ve shopped with us before, you’ll know that aside from offering an enormous collection of suit and shirt fabrics, we carry an impressive amount of buttons. Not just different colors, but different materials like metallic and rubber buttons. But there’s one particular type that I think is really quite cool: Corozo buttons.

These buttons are made from the corozo nut, or tagua nut. This is the seed of a tropical palm known scientifically as the phytelephas macrocarpas. It’s found throughout Northern South America and parts of Panama.

The fruit of this palm is huge, about a foot across. Each fruit is made up of clusters of seeds with cavities that fill with a white, ivory-like fluid that over time, will harden. Out of this hardened substance, local peoples would fashion figurines or buttons.

Modern manufacturing methods have pushed the corozo material to its limits. It can be cut, machined, heated, bleached, and polished to a finish that I think is even more impressive than ivory. Corozo buttons are also relatively scratch resistant, have a beautiful natural grain, and resist fading.

There’s a lot to like. Plus, they are completely all natural.

In particular, I think these buttons are a good match for many of our Scottsdale custom suit clients because the corozo palm is a nod to the warm environment. And in Denver, the natural aesthetic and unique grain of a corozo button pairs nicely for anyone wanting to build a more natural suit.

Speaking of custom suits, let’s take a step back and talk about these buttons – or any luxury button, for that matter – in the context of a shirt or suit. Any sort of high-end button is going to add some subtle style to your outfit. I say subtle, because after all, they are just buttons. They won’t be noticed much until someone gets close enough to see them.

However, you’ll certainly notice them because of the way that they feel. It’s difficult to describe, you really just need to see them in person.

I think that the real beauty in these buttons is that the corozo option is yet another way to build a suit with a nod to luxury craftsmanship. To wear something that tells a story. When done properly, a bespoke suit is a work of art. Paying careful attention to the suit’s details makes for a well-rounded garment.

By Ryan Wagner

Images courtesy of Corozo Buttons.