Suggestion Box

[Becky from Texas]

I have heard Amy repeatedly refer to Candace Cameron Bure's TSC as a "button down" shirt. There is a difference between a button down and a button front shirt! A button down shirt refers to the collar having 2 small buttons so that it can be "buttoned down". A shirt with buttons going from top to button is properly called either a "button up" or "button front" shirt. Might be a small point - but for those of us in the fashion garment industry, using the correct description matters. Amy, if you really want to be a "fashion expert" - use the correct terms!! The onscreen description was correct - Amy was wrong!

[depglass]

Thank you for bringing this up.  I was a men's apparel buyer way back in the 80's and this description always bugged me.  Even the venerated Lisa Robinson used to use "button down" incorrectly.  

[santorini]

I'm guilty of this.  I honestly did not know that about button downs.  Thanks.

[Magicrat]

As long as they don't say "butt-N" down, I'm good with it.

[Kachina624]

I've heard many people refer to a shirt that buttons as a button down shirt.  I think the definition has changed industry-wide since shirts with button collars aren't so popular anymore.

[Becky from Texas]

Nope - the industry has not changed its use of the phrase. It' just people who don't take the time to learn the correct descriptions, yet want to appear knowledgeable.

[Zhills]

Definition of button-down

(Entry 1 of 2) 1a of a collar : having the ends fastened to the garment with buttons. b of a shirt. (1) : having a button-down collar. (2) : having buttons from the collar to the waist.

Button-down Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Definitions do change as the world changes!

[Caaareful Shopper]

Amy is not wrong.

Whether the industry officially changed the term's definition or not is not really the issue any longer.

Put button down shirt in any search engine on the web, and you'll find tons of reputable retail sites (Nordstrom, The Gap, Macy's, etc.) that call the TSV-style shirt a button down shirt.  Yes, you'll also find the button down collar, but it's no longer exclusive to that description.

So in a way, the industry has indeed changed.  The shopping public describes the shirt that way and want to find what they're looking for.  So retailers changed so they can get the sale.   .  

[Pook]

No matter what it technically is or isn't, it does not change the look of what is being presented!  I always heard everyone calling a shirt with front buttons all the way down a button down shirt.

[Sugipine]

Who knew..!?