Yesterday I collected these beautiful hand-crafted stag horn buttons from a talented horn carver in the Scottish Highlands.

The inspiration came from one of the last surviving St Kilda tweed waistcoats, which I recently had the privilege of examining in the Museum nan Eilean (Stornoway Museum). The original garment was fastened with simple horn buttons, and I wanted to recreate that same natural character as faithfully as possible.

Each button is individually shaped and retains the unique colours and grain of the antler, meaning no two are exactly alike. That individuality seems perfectly suited to a project inspired by St Kilda, where everything was made by hand from the materials available to the islanders.

Although these buttons are temporarily displayed on my Australian practice waistcoat, their true home will be on the suit I hope to weave on St Kilda in 2027 using hand-spun Soay and Boreray wool—the first St Kilda tweed to be woven on the island for almost a century.

It's another small step forward, but one that brings the finished suit into sharper focus. Seeing each piece of the puzzle come together makes the project feel just a little more real.

Thank you for following the journey.

— Paul