BUTTON

The button is a small but extremely important garment detail that fastens clothing by passing through a buttonhole, while also often serving as ornament. Historically the button evolved from a purely decorative stud (in antiquity clothes were held with fibulae and cords) into the chief fastening element. The material and finish of buttons always reflected status: mother-of-pearl, horn, fabric-covered, metal with coats of arms. In folk dress buttons and hooks also had their own logic and symbolism. Today the button is both function and accent: a contrasting row of buttons can change the whole character of a garment. A quality button, securely sewn, is a sign of the neatness of the whole piece.