Button

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Brass buttons from the uniform of a Danish World War I artillery lieutenant Reserveknapper til Hans' uniform.jpg
Brass buttons from the uniform of a Danish World War I artillery lieutenant
Modern buttons made from vegetable ivory Three holes buttons.jpg
Modern buttons made from vegetable ivory

A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole.

Contents

In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, or seashell. Buttons can also be used on containers such as wallets and bags. Buttons may be sewn onto garments and similar items exclusively for purposes of ornamentation. In the applied arts and craft, a button can be an example of folk art, studio craft, or even a miniature work of art. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact.

History

Spanish button (approx. 12 mm) from ca. 1650-1675 Spanish button ca. 1650-75 12mm f&b.jpg
Spanish button (approx. 12 mm) from ca. 1650–1675

Buttons and button-like objects used as ornaments or seals rather than fasteners have been discovered in the Indus Valley civilization during its Kot Diji phase (c. 2800–2600 BC), [1] at the Tomb of the Eagles, Scotland (2200-1800 BC), [2] [3] [4] and at Bronze Age sites in China (c. 2000–1500 BC) and Ancient Rome.

Buttons made from seashell were used by the Indus Valley Civilization for ornamental purposes by 2000 BC. [5] Some buttons were carved into geometric shapes and were pierced so that they could be attached to clothing with thread. [5] Ian McNeil (1990) holds that "the button was originally used more as an ornament than as a fastening, the earliest known being found at Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley. It is made of a curved shell and is about 5000 years old." [6]

Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty left behind ornate wig covers, fabricated through sewing buttons formed of precious metals onto strips of backing material. [7]

Leatherwork from the Roman Empire incorporates some of the first buttonholes, with the legionary Loculus (satchel) closed through the insertion of a metallic buckle, or button into a leather slit. A similar mechanism would later feature in early medieval footwear. [8] Buttons appeared as a means to close cuffs in the Byzantine Empire and to fasten the necks of Egyptian tunics by no later than the 5th century. [9]

As containers

Since at least the seventeenth century, when box-like metal buttons were constructed especially for the purpose, [10] buttons have been one of the items in which drug smugglers have attempted to hide and transport illegal substances. At least one modern smuggler has tried to use this method. [11]

Also making use of the storage possibilities of metal buttons, during the World Wars, British and U.S. military locket buttons were made, containing miniature working compasses. [12]

Materials and manufacture

Button stamping machine at the Henri Jamorski Button Factory in Paris, 1919 Button stamping machine, Henri Jamorski Button Factory, Paris, France, 1919 (28206559760).jpg
Button stamping machine at the Henri Jamorski Button Factory in Paris, 1919

Because buttons have been manufactured from almost every possible material, both natural and synthetic, and combinations of both, the history of the material composition of buttons reflects the timeline of materials technology.

Buttons can be individually crafted by artisans, craftspeople or artists from raw materials or found objects (for example fossils), or a combination of both. Alternatively, they can be the product of low-tech cottage industry or be mass-produced in high-tech factories. Buttons made by artists are art objects, known to button collectors as "studio buttons" (or simply "studios", from studio craft). [13]

In 1918, the US government made an extensive survey of the international button market, which listed buttons made of vegetable ivory, metal, glass, galalith, silk, linen, cotton-covered crochet, lead, snap fasteners, enamel, rubber, buckhorn, wood, horn, bone, leather, paper, pressed cardboard, mother-of-pearl, celluloid, porcelain, composition, tin, zinc, xylonite, stone, cloth-covered wooden forms, and papier-mâché. Vegetable ivory was said to be the most popular for suits and shirts, and papier-mâché far and away the commonest sort of shoe button. [14]

Nowadays, hard plastic, seashell, metals, and wood are the most common materials used in button-making; the others tending to be used only in premium or antique apparel, or found in collections.

Over 60% of the world's button supply comes from Qiaotou, Yongjia County, China. [15] [16]

Decoration and coating techniques

Historically, fashions in buttons have also reflected trends in applied aesthetics and the applied visual arts, with buttonmakers using techniques from jewellery making, ceramics, sculpture, painting, printmaking, metalworking, weaving and others. The following are just a few of the construction and decoration techniques that have been used in button-making:

Styles of attachment

Three plastic sew-through buttons (left) and one shank, fabric-covered button (right) Plastic & fabric buttons showing holes & shank.jpg
Three plastic sew-through buttons (left) and one shank, fabric-covered button (right)
An assorti of shank buttons Shank buttons.jpg
An assorti of shank buttons
Plastic studs for bedclothes Durchsteckknoepfe.jpg
Plastic studs for bedclothes
Shirt studs ShirtStuds.jpg
Shirt studs
Illustration from 1908 Chambers's Twentieth Century. Toggle, n. (naut.) a short bar of wood, tapering from the middle towards each end, placed in an eye at the end of a rope, to keep the end from passing through a loop or knot. Chambers 1908 Toggle.png
Illustration from 1908 Chambers's Twentieth Century. Toggle, n. (naut.) a short bar of wood, tapering from the middle towards each end, placed in an eye at the end of a rope, to keep the end from passing through a loop or knot.

Fabric buttons

Button sizes

The size of the button depends on its use. Shirt buttons are generally small, and spaced close together, whereas coat buttons are larger and spaced further apart. Buttons are commonly measured in lignes (also called lines and abbreviated L), with 40 lines equal to 1 inch. [27] For example, some standard sizes of buttons are 16 lignes (10.16 mm, standard buttons of men's shirts) and 32 lignes (20.32 mm, typical button on suit jackets). [28]

In museums and galleries

Peter Carl Faberge buttons in the Cleveland Museum of Art Peter Carl Faberge - Buttons - 1966.490 - Cleveland Museum of Art.jpg
Peter Carl Fabergé buttons in the Cleveland Museum of Art

Some museums and art galleries hold culturally, historically, politically, and/or artistically significant buttons in their collections. The Victoria and Albert Museum has many buttons, [29] particularly in its jewellery collection, as does the Smithsonian Institution. [30] [31] [32] [33]

Hammond Turner & Sons, a button-making company in Birmingham, hosts an online museum with an image gallery and historical button-related articles, [34] including an 1852 article on button-making by Charles Dickens. [35] In the US, large button collections are on public display at the Waterbury Button Museum of Waterbury, Connecticut, [36] the Keep Homestead Museum of Monson, Massachusetts, [37] which also hosts an extensive button archive, [38] and in Gurnee, Illinois, at The Button Room. [39]

Positioning

Classic clothing has the button on the left side for women and on the right side for men. The reasons for this are unclear, but the choice for men's clothing is usually attributed to the need to draw weapons from the left to right; the weapon would then not catch on opening of the clothing. For women's clothing the common reason given is that in times when upper-class women's clothing was quite elaborate, servants were needed for dressing, and the left placement of the buttons was more convenient for right-handed maids. [40] [41] [42] Some Jews reverse this, following statements in the Torah that favor dressing first on the right side, or from the Kabbalah, in which the right side denotes goodness. [43] [44] [45] [46]

In politics

The mainly American tradition of politically significant clothing buttons appears to have begun with the first presidential inauguration of George Washington in 1789. Known to collectors as "Washington Inaugurals", [47] they were made of copper, brass or Sheffield plate, in large sizes for coats and smaller sizes for breeches. [48] Made in twenty-two patterns and hand-stamped, they are now extremely valuable cultural artifacts.

Between about 1840 and 1916, clothing buttons were used in American political campaigns, and still exist in collections today. Initially, these buttons were predominantly made of brass (though horn and rubber buttons with stamped or moulded designs also exist) and had loop shanks. Around 1860 the badge or pin-back style of construction, which replaced the shanks with long pins, probably for use on lapels and ties, began to appear. [49]

One common practice that survived until recent times on campaign buttons and badges was to include the image of George Washington with that of the candidate in question.

Some of the most famous campaign buttons are those made for Abraham Lincoln. Memorial buttons commemorating Lincoln's inaugurations and other life events, including his birth and death, were also made, and are also considered highly collectible. [50]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sewing machine</span> Machine used to stitch fabric

A sewing machine is a machine used to sew fabric and materials together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies. Since the invention of the first sewing machine, generally considered to have been the work of Englishman Thomas Saint in 1790, the sewing machine has greatly improved the efficiency and productivity of the clothing industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quilt</span> Bedcover made of multiple layers of fabric sewn together, usually stitched in decorative patterns

A quilt is a multi-layered textile, traditionally composed of two or more layers of fabric or fiber. Commonly three layers are used with a filler material. These layers traditionally include a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding, and a woven back combined using the techniques of quilting. This is the process of sewing on the face of the fabric, and not just the edges, to combine the three layers together to reinforce the material. Stitching patterns can be a decorative element. A single piece of fabric can be used for the top of a quilt, but in many cases the top is created from smaller fabric pieces joined, or patchwork. The pattern and color of these pieces creates the design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sewing</span> Craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread

Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a sewing needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fabric, archaeologists believe Stone Age people across Europe and Asia sewed fur and leather clothing using bone, antler or ivory sewing-needles and "thread" made of various animal body parts including sinew, catgut, and veins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirt</span> Garment for the upper body

A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waistcoat</span> Sleeveless upper-body garment

A waistcoat, or vest, is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. It is also sported as the third piece in the traditional three-piece male suit. Any given waistcoat can be simple or ornate, or for leisure or luxury. Historically, the waistcoat can be worn either in the place of, or underneath, a larger coat, dependent upon the weather, wearer, and setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemise</span> Loose-fitting, straight-hanging shirt-like underwear for women

A chemise or shift is a classic smock type of women's undergarment or dress. Historically, a chemise was a simple garment worn next to the skin to protect clothing from sweat and body oils, the precursor to the modern shirts commonly worn in Western nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cufflink</span> Items of jewelry

Cufflinks are items of jewelry that are used to secure the cuffs of dress shirts. Cufflinks can be manufactured from a variety of different materials, such as glass, stone, leather, metal, precious metal or combinations of these. Securing of the cufflinks is usually achieved via toggles or reverses based on the design of the front section, which can be folded into position. There are also variants with chains or a rigid, bent rear section. The front sections of the cufflinks can be decorated with gemstones, inlays, inset material or enamel and designed in two or three-dimensional forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frog (fastening)</span> Fastening in the form of an ornamental knot

A frog is a type of ornamental braiding closure made out of cord, consisting of a button and a loop; it is used to fasten garments without creating an overlap. Its purpose is to act as a fastener as well as providing a decorative closure for the garment. It is especially used on the cheongsam, where the frog represents the cultural essence of the dress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notions (sewing)</span> Small accessories such as buttons used in sewing

In sewing and haberdashery, notions are small objects or accessories, including items that are sewn or otherwise attached to a finished article, such as buttons, snaps, and collar stays. Notions also include the small tools used in sewing, such as needles, thread, pins, marking pens, elastic, and seam rippers. The noun is almost always used in the plural. The term is chiefly in American English. It was also formerly used in the phrase "Yankee notions", meaning American products. A fabric store will have a section or department devoted to notions, and a spool of thread is considered a notion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dress shirt</span> Type of shirt

A dress shirt, button shirt, button-front, button-front shirt, or button-up shirt is a garment with a collar and a full-length opening at the front, which is fastened using buttons or shirt studs. A button-down or button-down shirt is a dress shirt with a button-down collar – a collar having the ends fastened to the shirt with buttons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snap fastener</span> Two-part fastener consisting of a ball and socket that snap into place when pressed together

A snap fastener, also called snap button, press stud, press fastener, dome fastener, popper, snap and tich, is a pair of interlocking discs, made out of a metal or plastic, commonly used in place of traditional buttons to fasten clothing and for similar purposes. A circular lip under one disc fits into a groove on the top of the other, holding them fast until a certain amount of force is applied. Different types of snaps can be attached to fabric or leather by riveting with a punch and die set specific to the type of rivet snaps used, sewing, or plying with special snap pliers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collar (clothing)</span> Shaped neckwear that fastens around or frames the neck

In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck. Among clothing construction professionals, a collar is differentiated from other necklines such as revers and lapels, by being made from a separate piece of fabric, rather than a folded or cut part of the same piece of fabric used for the main body of the garment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buttonhole</span> Reinforced opening in fabric

A buttonhole is a reinforced hole in fabric that a button can pass through, allowing one piece of fabric to be secured to another. The raw edges of a buttonhole are usually finished with stitching. This may be done either by hand or by a sewing machine. Some forms of button, such as a frog, use a loop of cloth or rope instead of a buttonhole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shank (sewing)</span> Device for keeping space between a button and a garment

A shank is a device for providing a small amount of space in between a garment and a button. Shanks are necessary to provide space for fabric to sit in between the button and the garment when the garment is buttoned. Shanks also allow a garment to drape nicely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Placket</span> Opening in the upper part of certain clothing

A placket is a finished opening in the upper part of trousers or skirts, or at the neck, front, or sleeve of a garment. The finish frequently consists of a fold of fabric that is attached to the opening in order for the fasteners to be sewn to it. In modern usage, the term placket often refers to these double layers of fabric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirt stud</span>

A shirt stud is a decorative fastener that fits onto a buttonhole on the front of a pleated shirt, or onto the starched bib of a stiff-front shirt. Such shirts have special buttonholes solely for shirt studs.

A back closure is a means for fastening a garment at the rear, such as with a zipper, hooks-and-eyes or buttons. Back closures were once common on Western female clothing, but have recently become less so, especially on female casual and business attire. They continue, however, to be widely used in underwear, formal wear and specialized clothing. Back closures are also common in garments for infants and toddlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Button collecting</span>

Button collecting is the collecting of various types of clothing buttons.

Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic Era. Although usually associated with clothing and household linens, sewing is used in a variety of crafts and industries, including shoemaking, upholstery, sailmaking, bookbinding and the manufacturing of some kinds of sporting goods. Sewing is the fundamental process underlying a variety of textile arts and crafts, including embroidery, tapestry, quilting, appliqué and patchwork.

References

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  21. (Luscomb 2003, pp. 123–124)
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  46. What's the Difference Between Hasidic vs. Orthodox Jews?, June 14, 2021
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  48. ( Luscomb 2003 , pp. 214–218)
  49. ( Luscomb 2003 , pp. 33–34)
  50. ( Luscomb 2003 , pp. 119–120)

Sources

Further reading