A button loop on a kaftan or top holds when four things are right. The loop is sized to the real button. The material has the right amount of give. The ends are caught in a seam or facing and secured. The loops are evenly spaced to match the buttons. Specify all four and pull-test the fit sample.
This post is about loops only. For buttons with buttonholes, zips, snaps, drawcords and elastic, see our guide to what goes wrong with zips, buttons, snaps, drawcords and elastic.
What types of button loop can a kaftan or top use?
A kaftan or top can use five main types of button loop: a turned rouleau, a corded rouleau, a purchased cord or elastic loop, a hand thread loop, or a strip of continuous loops.
- Turned rouleau (bias tube). A bias strip is folded in half lengthwise, stitched close to the fold, trimmed, and turned right side out (FabricLink). The tube is then cut into loops. This is the same tube used for rouleau shoulder straps, covered in our post on shoulder straps that slip and twist. Liz Haywood advises leaving enough fabric inside the tube so it becomes “a firm cylindrical cord” (Liz Haywood).
- Corded rouleau. A small cord is laid inside the fold of the bias strip and stitched in with a zipper foot (FabricLink). The cord stays inside the finished loop.
- Purchased cord or elastic loop. Ready-made loops and tubing can be bought instead of made (Doina Alexei). Sewguide lists soutache braid and elastic thread as simple loop materials (Sewguide).
- Hand thread loop or bar. A few strands of thread are laid between two points, then covered with blanket stitches pushed tight to the base of the loop. The thread is knotted on the inside of the garment (In the Folds). Sewguide suggests 3 to 10 wraps of thread, and says more wraps make a stronger, thicker loop (Sewguide).
- Strip of continuous loops. Pre-made loops are fixed to a backing strip called a header, and they come elastic or non-elastic (WAWAK). The header is sewn into the edge, so the spacing is set by the strip.
How do the loop types compare?
The loop types differ most in how much they stretch, which decides how well each loop on a kaftan or top keeps the button in.
| Loop type | Stretch | Security | Look | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turned rouleau (bias) | Some give, from the bias cut | Good if sized tight to the button; looser if the loop lengthens | Self-fabric, soft | Light and medium fabrics, where a matching loop is wanted |
| Corded rouleau | Limited by the cord inside | Holds its size if the cord does not stretch | Self-fabric, round and firm | Kaftan necklines and fronts that are fastened often |
| Purchased cord or braid | Depends on the cord | Depends on the cord | Contrast or trim | Decorative fronts |
| Elastic loop or elastic loop strip | Stretches over the button, then returns | Grips the button; the loop must recover after stretching | Narrow, neat | Fine or sheer fabrics, cuffs, back openings |
| Hand thread loop | Little | Depends on number of strands and stitch coverage | Small, almost invisible | A single small button at a neck or cuff |
How big should a button loop be?
A button loop must be just big enough to pass over the button, and it should be sized with the actual button the garment will carry.
Seamwork gives two rules. One article says the loop width should equal the button width (Seamwork). A second Seamwork tutorial says the loop width should be the button width plus 2–3 mm for ease, and to “always test your loop size with the actual button” (Seamwork tutorial). For loop length, Vikisews gives 4.5 cm of rouleau for a 1 cm button, and says to test the length so the button goes in and out easily (Vikisews). FabricLink sizes the loop by placing the button on a drawn line and wrapping the cord around it (FabricLink).
Lengths from a tutorial are a starting point. The fabric thickness, the tube thickness and the button depth all change the length needed. So the finished loop length per button should be fixed on the sample and then written down.
Why does a rouleau loop stretch and let the button slip out?
A bias rouleau loop can lengthen under pull, because woven fabric cut on the bias stretches more than fabric cut on the straight grain. Sewguide says loops from bias strips are “stretchy and flexible”, while strips cut on the lengthwise grain give less (Sewguide).
When a loop lengthens, its opening gets bigger. Once the opening is bigger than the button, the button can come out with no one unfastening it. Wearing a kaftan, sitting and lifting the arms all pull on the front loops.
Other loop types behave differently:
- Corded rouleau. The cord fills the tube. If the cord itself does not stretch, it limits how far the loop can lengthen.
- Straight-grain loop. A strip cut on the lengthwise grain has less give than a bias strip (Sewguide).
- Elastic loop. The loop is meant to stretch over the button and pull back. On William Gee’s elastic loop tape, only the loops stretch; the base tape is stable and does not stretch (William Gee).
Button shape also matters. Doina Alexei recommends ball buttons with loops, because they are easier to put through the loop and can be attached firmly (Doina Alexei). A flat button is thinner at its edge than across its face, so it can tilt and pass edge-first through a loop that has loosened. Test the chosen button in the loop at an angle, not only straight on.
How should button loops be sewn in so they do not pull out?
Button loops hold best when their ends are caught in a seam or facing, stitched more than once, and kept flat inside the seam allowance.
- Baste first. Sewguide says to baste the loops in place before machine stitching, or “they will shift” (Sewguide). Doina Alexei pins the loops to a paper diagram, bastes through paper and fabric, then tears the paper away (Doina Alexei).
- Point the loops the right way. The loops lie on the right side of the garment edge, facing away from the raw edge, with the facing laid on top (Liz Haywood). The Seamwork tutorial says to pin all loops facing the same direction (Seamwork tutorial).
- Keep the ends in the seam allowance. Loops are stitched with a straight stitch inside the seam allowance (Seamwork). Ends that lie flat and side by side add less bulk to the seam than ends that cross.
- Close with the facing. The facing is stitched over the loops to enclose the raw ends, then understitched and pressed to the inside (Doina Alexei). Liz Haywood stitches the facing just inside the first row of stitching so the first row does not show (Liz Haywood).
- Backstitch over the loop base. For thread chains set into a seam, Melly Sews uses a short stitch length and backstitches over the base of the loop so the threads are caught (Melly Sews).
- Reinforce light or single-layer edges. On lightweight fabric, the Seamwork tutorial adds a second line of stitching (Seamwork tutorial). A hand thread loop on a single layer is knotted on the inside of the garment (In the Folds).
Liz Haywood also stretches the bias strip firmly while sewing the tube, so the stitching “cannot stretch any further” later and does not break (Liz Haywood). A broken tube seam weakens the loop where it meets the garment.
How should loops and buttons be spaced down a kaftan or top opening?
Loops and buttons on a kaftan or top opening should be evenly spaced and marked from one placement guide, so each loop lines up with its button.
Seamwork marks a reference grid outside the stitch line to keep loop size and spacing consistent (Seamwork). Liz Haywood lays out the loops on graph paper first (Liz Haywood). Doina Alexei says continuous loops sit with each loop’s ends touching the next, while spaced loops sit “at an even distance”, and larger buttons and thicker fabric need more space (Doina Alexei). For very close spacing, as on bridal backs, Sewguide gives about 2 loops per inch (Sewguide). A loop strip fixes the spacing in the header; WAWAK’s chart shows strips with spacing from 1/4″ to 1″ (WAWAK).
Use the same guide to mark the button positions. If the buttons are marked separately, a small error repeats down the opening and the last loop pulls.
What button works best with a loop?
A loop works with a shank button, or with a flat button sewn on with a thread shank, because the shank leaves room under the button for the loop.
A shank is a small space between the garment and the button. A shank button has a protrusion on its back for the thread. A flat button with holes gets a thread shank, wound from thread, instead (Wikipedia: Shank). The shank should be “long enough to button the garment closed without being too tight” (Wikipedia: Shank). With a loop, the loop thickness sits under the button, so the shank must allow for it. A shank that is too short squeezes the loop and makes the button hard to fasten.
What to put in the tech pack
- Loop type and material: turned rouleau, corded rouleau, purchased cord, elastic, thread loop or loop strip; self fabric or trim; grain (bias or straight); cord type if corded.
- Finished loop length per button: measured on the sample with the real button, not taken from a tutorial.
- Spacing: distance between loops, first and last loop positions, and one placement guide for both loops and buttons.
- How the ends are anchored: caught in the facing or seam, stitch line, number of stitch rows, backstitching, and reinforcement on single-layer or light fabric.
- Button type and size: ball, dome or flat; diameter; shank button or thread shank, and shank length.
- Pull test on the fit sample: fasten and unfasten each loop, pull along the opening as the wearer would, and check the button does not slip out and the loop does not pull from the seam.
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