The Not So Brief History of The Button

Buttons were first used as ornaments rather than for fastening. The earliest known button like object was found at Mohenjo-daroin the Indus Valley, it dates from about 5000 years ago and it is made of curved shell. Other button like objects have been discovered in the Indus Valley Civilisation from about 2800 – 2600BC and by 2000BC ornamental buttons made from carved sea shell were being used. Some buttons were carved into geometrical shapes and some had holes made in them so that they could be fixed to clothing with thread. Buttons were also found in Bronze Age sites in China dating from around 2000 – 1500BC as well as in Ancient Rome. Bronze Age buttons were just for decoration, they were made from a variety of materials including bone, horn, wood, metal and sea shell. At that time belts pins and broaches were used to fasten clothes so the button was just a sew on broach waiting for someone to invent the buttonhole

The Greeks also used buttons for decoration, but they took it a step closer to use as a fastener by creating a loop using strands of thread. The button and loop fastening system developed as a safer and less painful alternative to pins and broaches.  Buttons with buttonholes first began to be used as a means of fastening in 13th century and their use soon spread throughout Europe. It seems that the Crusades brought the buttonhole to Europe, apparentlythey borrowed the idea from Turks and Mongols that they met on their travels who already used the buttonhole. Buttons became a status symbol and a fashion statement, the ‘bling’of their time. The first functional buttonswere made of clay or horn but this gave way to glass buttons with silver or gold trim. The term button dates from around this time and it comes from French bouton for bud or bouter to push.

The industrial revolution brought mass produced buttons and for a while clothes, boots and shoes were fastened with buttons. Some garments had rows of buttons and it was difficult to fasten them by hand so a button hook was used. Buttons came in all shapes and sizes, from brass or metal military buttons to pearl buttons, glass buttons and ceramic buttons. Buttons were reclaimed from old garments and collected in a box or tin ready to be used again when needed. These days we have press studs, zips and velcro but the button is still going strong and every wardrobe sill includes garments fastened with buttons. Well, almost every wardrobe – the Amish of Pennsylvania do not use buttons because they are not mentioned in the Bible, like the puritains of the 16th century they reject buttons as a sign of pride.

A Short History of The Pocket