What does Button Fly Imprints mean?

Also known as “button fly fades”, Button Fly Imprints are the patterns that develop on the button fly flap surface as a result of the crotch fly buttons abrading the fabric.

Heddels explains Button Fly Imprints

So long as one’s jeans have a button fly (which is usually the case with raw denim jeans), Button Fly Imprints will appear with simple wear and tear. Aside from intensive usage, two factors can expedite Button Fly Imprints:

1. Top block fit – if the top block (i.e. the area from the waistband to the crotch) is tighter, then more stress is exerted by button fly causing greater abrasion between the hardware and denim fabric.
2. Button fly hardware surface – the rougher and more textured the actual button fly hardware, the more prominent the Button Fly Imprints will be (and vice-versa).

Thus, if one wishes not to have Button Fly Imprints, then they can simply have a roomier top block and/or smoothen out the button fly surface (with sandpaper or another tool).

Additional Resources

Below is an example of Button Fly Imprints on a pair of 3sixteen SL-100x after two years of wear and six washes.

And another example on a pair of Sugar Cane 1947 denim jeans, the Buttony Fly Imprints are nearly perfectly circular: