Before the mirror, before the fit, her fingers go to one small thing on the front.
Lombardy's button valley
Between Bergamo and Brescia, small firms have turned horn, resin and corozo into buttons since the 1800s.
Sold one at a time
Every Italian town has a haberdashery. In Santarcangelo di Romagna, one family's collection became the Museo del Bottone.
Weight, sewing, match
A good button has heft, sits up on a short stem of thread, and belongs to the cloth instead of the cheapest drawer.
Right jacket, wrong buttons
She buys it anyway, then sews on better ones that evening. A plain jacket stops looking like what it cost.
Look down first
Next time you try on a jacket, turn one button over before you look in the mirror.