Button-downs are a very American look. They were introduced by Brooks Brothers in 1896, based on polo shirts and became a staple of casual dress at university sporting events.

In the canon of classic style, you’d expect to see blue jeans and a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers etched into the pages. And once you’ve settled on which pair of jeans fits you best, or ...

“When buttons were invented in the 13th century they were, like most new technology, very expensive,” she says. “Wealthy women back then did not dress themselves — their lady’s maid did.