Buttons were used as decoration long before they were commonly used to fasten clothing.

The longer version

For most of human history, clothes were held together by pins, laces, belts or simple ties, since a garment cut to wrap and fold needs no fasteners at all. Small discs of metal, shell or bone were sewn on purely for appearance, often in rows down a sleeve or front.

Buttonholes changed that, because a stiff loop of thread lets a disc actually hold two edges together. Once tailors cut fitted garments that had to close precisely, rows of fasteners became practical as well as decorative, and their placement settled into conventions that tailors still follow today.

Where this entry sits

This set looks at ancient civilizations, old inventions, trade routes, calendars, and the ordinary objects people once used every day. Nothing here is advice or opinion, just short notes about how daily life used to be organised long ago. The full list sits on the History page, where every entry is listed in order.