Everything about Button totally explained
In
clothing and
fashion design, a
button is a small plastic or metal disc- or knob-shaped, typically round, object usually attached to an article of
clothing in order to secure an opening, or for
ornamentation. Functional buttons work by slipping the button through a fabric or thread loop, or by sliding the button through a reinforced slit called a
buttonhole.
Buttons may be manufactured from an extremely wide range of
materials, including natural materials such as
antler,
bone,
horn,
ivory,
shell,
vegetable ivory, and
wood; or synthetics such as
celluloid,
glass,
metal,
bakelite and
plastic.
Hard plastic is by far the most common material for newly manufactured buttons; the other materials tend to occur only in premium apparel.
History
Buttons and button-like objects used as ornaments rather than fasteners have been discovered in the
ancient Indus Valley during its Kot Dijy phase (circa
2800-
2600 BC) and
Bronze Age sites in
China (circa
2000-
1500 BC), and are attested in
Ancient Rome.
Functional buttons with buttonholes for fastening or closing clothing appeared first in
Germany in the 13th century. They soon became widespread with the rise of snug-fitting garments in
13th- and
14th-century Europe.
Types of buttons
- Shank buttons have a small ring or a bar with a hole called the shank protruding from the back of the button, through which thread is sewn to attach the button.
- Covered buttons are fabric-covered forms with a separate back piece that secures the fabric over the knob.
- Flat or sew-through buttons have two or four holes punched through the button through which the thread is sewn to attach the button. Flat buttons may be attached by sewing machine rather than by hand, and may be used with heavy fabrics by working a thread shank to extend the height of the button above the fabric.
- Worked or cloth buttons are created by embroidering or crocheting tight stitches (usually with linen thread) over a knob or ring called a form.
- Mandarin buttons or Frogs are knobs made of intricately knotted strings. Mandarin buttons are a key element in Mandarin dress (Qi Pao and cheongsam in Chinese), where they're closed with loops. Pairs of mandarin buttons worn as cuff links are called silk knots.
Button sizes
Buttons are commonly measured in
lignes (also called
lines and abbreviated
L), with 40 lignes equal to 1 inch. For example, some standard sizes of buttons are 16 lignes (10.16 mm, standard button of men's
shirts) and 32 lignes (20.32 mm, typical button on
suit jackets).
Buttonholes
cloth or
rope may replace the buttonhole. Buttonholes may be either made by hand sewing or automated by a
sewing machine.
Buttonholes often have a
bar at either end. This is a row of perpendicular hand or machine stitching to reinforce the ends of a buttonhole.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Button'.
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