Button (clothing)

Current buttons of various sizes, colors, shapes and materials.

Bronze button used by the Chilean army.

A button is a small element used to fasten or adjust clothing, especially shirts, jackets, and jackets. Buttons are usually round and flat, although they come in various shapes and sizes. They are usually made of metal, wood, mother-of-pearl, bone, ceramic, resin or, more recently, plastic. The button is fastened by passing it through a just-sized buttonhole located at one end of the garment.

Function

There are buttons with two or four holes, but there are also buttons that are fastened by only one hole on the back and that, unlike the others, do not go through to the front.

Buttons are not just round, nor are they flat. There are a large number of different designs that incorporate different textures and finishes. Many of the buttons used on coats and blouses have been covered with the same fabric as the main garment.

Many items of clothing, such as shirts, pants, and especially clothing that is considered to be of better quality, often have extra buttons, attached to an inconspicuous part of the garment. Buttons can be made of bone, resin from certain trees, metal, aluminum, steel, bronze, etc.

History

Iber buttons. The Covalta and Bastida de les Alcusses. Museo de Prehistoria de Valencia.

At first, buttons were nothing more than decorative discs that were sewn to garments and did not have the function of fastening them. The first buttons as such were shells of various mollusks, carved and perforated. Buttons and button-like objects used as ornaments or seals instead of fasteners have been discovered in the Indus Valley Civilization during their Kot Diji phase (c. 2800-2600 BCE), in the Tomb of the Eagles, Scotland (2200-1800 BC), and at Bronze Age sites in China (c. 2000-1500 BC) and Ancient Rome.

Seashell buttons were used for ornamental purposes in the Indus Valley Civilization around 2000 BC. Some buttons were carved into geometric shapes and had holes drilled so they could be attached to clothing with thread. Ian McNeil (1990) argues that "the button was originally used more as an ornament than a fastener, the earliest known was found at Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley. It is made of a curved shell and is about 5,000 years old"

The Greeks and Romans also used decorative buttons made from shells or wood. Carved ivory and bone buttons covered with gold or encrusted with gems have been found in European sites. In none of these cases were they used to fasten garments.

Spanish card of ca. 1650-1675 (about 12 mm)

Egyptian 18th Dynasty left behind ornate wig coverings, made by sewing buttons fashioned from precious metals onto strips of backing material.

The leather goods of the Roman Empire incorporate some of the earliest buttonholes, with the legionary Loculus (wallet) that was closed by inserting a metal buckle, or button into a leather slit. A similar mechanism would later appear in early medieval footwear. Buttons appeared as a means of closing cuffs in the Byzantine Empire and for fastening the collars of Egyptian tunics no later than the V< century< /span> d. C.

A curiosity that still persists is the arrangement of buttons on men's and women's clothing. Men's clothing has buttons on the right and women's on the left. There is a theory about the reason for this fact, and it is that in the past the women were dressed by the maids and, to make it easier for them to fasten the buttons, they stood on the opposite side of the habit.

• The Amish, by conviction, do not use buttons on their garments.
• Buttons can be an element of collecting.

As containers

Since at least the 17th century, when box-shaped metal buttons were specially constructed for this purpose, buttons have been one of the items in which drug smugglers have attempted to conceal and transport illegal substances. At least one modern smuggler has attempted to use this method.

Also taking advantage of the storage possibilities of metal buttons, during the World Wars, British and United States locket buttons were made buttons containing working miniature compasses.

Types

There are countless different types of buttons, which can be categorized according to their:

Material: There are metal buttons, pearl buttons and fabric buttons. Natural buttons can be made from natural materials such as wood, deer antler, mother-of-pearl or coconut. The bone was also a popular natural option in the past. But as the ethical design movement has grown, they have fallen out of favor, enamel buttons are made by applying an enamel or epoxy resin to cover the surface of the button (epoxy tends to be a bit more durable) AND plastic buttons They can be made of acrylic, resin, ABS plastic, nylon, or a combination of these materials. They all have slightly different characteristics. But you can generally expect a plastic button to be light and strong.

The buttons can be differentiated according to the intended use or, as in the following case, according to the shape and type of processing.

Buttonhole button

Several buttons for ojal,

The buttonhole button has been used since the Early Middle Ages. It is characterized by having a buttonhole on the reverse through which it is sewn to the garment. The button face can be spherical, dome-shaped, disc-shaped, or with a flat curve. The buttonhole can be attached to the back of the button alone or together with a backing plate, or it can be made in one piece with the button.

A special form of the buttonhole button is the covered button. In this case, a disk-shaped or curved base is covered with fabric or leather. The gathered fabric ridge on the back of the button is used for closure, much like a buttonhole.

Since the buttonhole acts as a spacer between the button and the backing fabric, buttonhole buttons are preferred for heavy fabrics (eg, coats) so that the button lies flat on the buttonhole. The unbroken surface is particularly suitable for decoration, eg for embossed insignia (uniform buttons), engraving, cloisonné or (for covered buttons) embroidery.

In cases where buttons may interfere with cleaning and other treatment of garments (for example, lab and doctor's coats), buttonhole buttons can be designed to be removable. To do this, the buttonhole is passed through a small reinforced hole in the fabric and secured at the back with a small pin.

Rivet Button

bund with rivet button

Since denim and corduroy pants were often special-demand work pants in the past, a riveted metal button, without the easily frayed sewing thread, is still typical for them today. It is used for leather garments because the larger contact surface makes the leather tear less easily than button sewn in a comparatively small point.

Perforated button

several hole buttons

The button with a hole is usually in the shape of a disc - with or without a decorative border - and is sewn to the fabric through the holes. The most common thing is to find it as a button with two or four holes on shirts and blouses. It can be easily attached by machine. If used for heavier fabrics, make room under the head for the buttonhole by first sewing the button with extra long loops, then wrapping them several times with the sewing thread (stem or Austrian collar).

Before staghorn buttons are drilled with pointed drills, a thread plate is usually milled on top; this cylindrical depression has a light contrasting color. In the case of leather trousers whose buttons are fastened with leather belt loops, two parallel grooves are milled or a metal cross pin is diametrically inserted into a large central hole.

Buttons without a visible hole in the front can have a cross hole in the back through a tab or through the dam-shaped interruption of a diametrical slot.

Spin button

Turn buttons.

In a twist button, linen or cotton thread is passed around a star-shaped metal ring to form a closed surface. Because twist buttons have been used traditionally (since at least the 18th century century) for bedding, they are found almost exclusively in white.

Frog button

Frog lever button

The tassel-type frog buttons are made with the same materials as the laces and tassels, that is, they are usually made of silk. (or artificial silk) wrapped in threads. A frog button may be in the form of a buttonhole button or that of a flat trim that forms a knob at one point, which is passed through the loop of a symmetrical counterpart.

Buttons or frog clasps made of metal or wood are also made. One of the parts (the male) is inserted into the eyelet of the other female part, and when they are hooked they form an ornament.

Clamp or clip

Work

Claws are a special elongated form of button and probably the oldest precursor to the current button. They can have buttonholes or holes and are often combined with loops instead of buttonholes, for example, on the duffel coat. They are mainly used in coats and tracht clothing.

• Iron Age Chairs
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Snap closure

Pressure lock.

A snap fastener is a fastening device made up of two small round pieces, one with a recess and the other with a matching head. They are sewn or riveted to opposite sides of the fabric and pressed together to close. In order to ensure that the head snaps into place and that the button will only open if a considerable pulling force is exerted, the recess is correspondingly shaped as a recess or open ring, and then the elasticity of the button material allows it to snap into place. your site, or an element of additional lateral resistance is incorporated. The push buttons are usually made of metal, and more rarely made of plastic.

The first known use of the snap closure principle was in the Terracotta Army and thus dates back 2,000 years.

In 1885, Heribert Bauer from Pforzheim made the first modern-day snap clasp. It was mainly intended for men's underwear. Some time later, a snap for women's clothing was introduced under the name of the "crown snap" (Unknowingly, the later surgeon Ferdinand Sauerbruch also invented one for shoes in his grandfather's shoe shop.) In 1903, the press-stud came onto the market in an improved form by Hans Prym, with a spring inserted around the the head part, which considerably facilitated opening and closing. Made from stainless metal, the snap closure is still on the market in this form today and is often used as a discreet, or often invisible when closed, closure for clothing, bags and other items.

Pushbuttons

Tailcoat Button

Several frac buttons.

A tailcoat button (shirt button or cufflink) is used to close a shirt with two buttonholes. These are usually tailcoats and tuxedo shirts whose chest placket has two or three pairs of buttonholes at the top instead of sewn-on buttons.

Like the cufflinks, the tailcoat buttons are purchased separately with the shirt and combined with the rest of the accessories. They are made in a wide variety of materials, such as gold, silver or stainless steel. The front can be decorated or set with precious stones. Buttons set with onyx are typically worn with a tuxedo, and buttons set with mother-of-pearl or faceted brilliants are worn with a tailcoat.

Ball Button

Cook jacket with ball buttons.

Chef jackets traditionally have one or two pairs of slit-shaped buttonholes, which are fastened with plastic chef buttons (ball buttons). This makes the textile piece boilable and bleachable and also easier to iron without the buttons sticking out. The button consists of a round disc about 15 millimeters in diameter, an axially connected short bar, and a ball about 10 millimeters in diameter. Today, ball buttons are often made from a single piece of injection-molded plastic. They are often chosen in a contrasting colour, for example red, against the white fabrics. The ball, slightly protruding from the closed garment, can also be multi-colored or have a different shape, such as a heart.

Firstly, the ball button is inserted through the inner eyelet -either with the disk in a radial direction or with the ball in an axial direction- and, finally, the ball is inserted through the eyelet of the outer layer of the textile piece. The button interlocks with the 2 layers and provides secure radial traction. By pulling the button axially from the ball, the outer buttonhole can be easily torn off and, starting from the bottom, the jacket can be quickly yanked open in front of it, which is safety-relevant if the garment is accidentally soaked in grease or water hot.

Slide button for bedding

Buttons for bed linen.

Bedding made with only two corresponding buttonhole strips is easy to wash and iron. Buttons consist of two disks joined by a bar. They are easy to fasten, but can easily get lost.

References