BUTTONS might be small but they come in all shapes and sizes and are essential to any piece of clothing.

So says Lucy Backshall, manager of York's Duttons for Buttons, and she would say that, because her buttons are set to appear in another film blockbuster.

Over 1,500 buttons were recently bought for costumes in Boswell For The Defence, starring Michael Caine.

The film, due be released next year, is set in the 18th century.

"They have used some beautiful mother-of-pearl and glass buttons for men's coats and waistcoats," said Lucy.

"We wish that sort of fashion would come back!"

Duttons' buttons have already appeared in Evita, starring Madonna, Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Elizabeth, part of which was filmed in York Minster.

"In Evita, Madonna wore 30 sets of our buttons and we all went to the cinema together to play spot the button," said Michelle Horton, manager of the Harrogate Branch.

"We only saw 15 at the most as a lot of the film was in the dark, but we knew they were there."

All sorts of buttons are used in the films. Captain Corelli's Mandolin featured thousands of ordinary blue plastic shirt buttons for use on military uniforms.

Duttons is unique in England and sells 10,000 buttons including leather, glass, and vintage, from its five outlets in the North-East and via mail order.

Updated: 11:26 Monday, August 27, 2001