The button art of #tanoshitanoshi

I’m taking life lessons from Instagram creator Julia (@knit.dein.ernst) when it comes to appreciating the small things and finding small joys.

Julia’s latest project #tanoshitanoshi has found itself a home in a community of fashion-loving knitters and creatives. Tanoshi is a Japanese word meaning fun, enjoyable, or delightful. It’s what Julia has chosen to name her approach to creating accessories to jazz up buttons on shirts, skirts, jackets, or anything else.

Stripes, stripes, stripes! This one almost looks like a mini scarf.

This checkerboard accessory adds pattern and interest.

There is something quite unexpected about the button accessories. We often treat the buttons on our clothes as merely functional. #tanoshitanoshi goes a step further than a pretty button, encouraging embellishment of them in ways that embrace individuality and personality. It doesn’t require a lot of material; old scraps of yarn and material can be put to use. It’s a slow fashion movement and resistance; I’ll wear this same shirt multiple times, with a small twist that makes it look different each time.

An elegant take, used to dress-up the shirts and add interest.

This creator talks about how their herring accessory harks back to their home city Gdynia and its origins as a fishing village.

Julia emphasises how ‘seriously not serious’ she is about knitting. She’s in it for the fun of it. People have found this a liberating approach, making small, fun pieces just because they enjoy it. This principle is at the heart of #tanoshitanoshi.

There’s also something about it that rebels against uniformity; the addition of a small button accessory to a work shirt feels similar to wearing brightly coloured patterned socks with a suit. Some of the accessories are shaped like mini ties or mini bows, a cheeky nod to the traditional tie.

This creation is a new take on the 2023 bow trend.

Julia’s original accessories, with her knitting pattern in the caption.

#tanoshitanoshi carries an element of kitschy charm. The hashtag is in its infancy but growing in popularity, and there are already plenty of imaginative takes on the idea. It might not be too long until we see the button accessories in the wild. I think they’ll make me smile every time. ∎