Buttons: The Genius of Simplicity

Buttons are one of the first accessories ever made in the world. Initially, however, they were not used as they are now. While buttons only served to decorate at first, they were also used as markers of social status. It was over the work of many years that they came to be used as fasteners for clothes.

Buttons over the years Source: Pinterest

Man has made many complex inventions over the course of centuries. From the wheel to the aeroplane, we have made a journey worth being remembered. But amidst these great inventions are those which may be smaller in size but are not any less significant.

The first button was found 5000 years ago, in the Harappan civilization. Decorative buttons were made from seashells found in Mohenjodaro, i.e. present-day Sindh province in Pakistan. These buttons were just flat disks with no holes in them. They were not arranged in rows but rather used as single pieces to increase the beauty of the clothes they adorned.

It was the Ancient Romans who are credited with initiating the use of buttons to fasten their heavy-flowing garments. These buttons were made out of wood, horn and bronze.

As the Middle Ages came around, buttons were used more frequently as fasteners for clothes rather than just decorative pieces.

In Europe, close-fitting clothes became fashionable. Buttons were used to make the clothes fit snugly around women’s bosoms and for men’s arms. It was also during this time that buttonholes were invented to revolutionise clothing. A simple but elegant design allowed buttons to pass through the opening of the cloth and be slotted firmly in its place. Fashion changed once and for all.

16th century France saw the formation of button makers’ guilds - entire organisations which were devoted to the production of thousands of buttons for the nobility of France. Buttons soon became symbols of prestige instead of just serving as functional units. They began to be made of precious materials, even gold at times, for the highest nobility. The lower classes who were socially and economically weaker were not allowed to wear clothes with an egregious amount of buttons. Since the poor did not wear frivolous or bulky clothes, they did not need a lot of buttons. Inevitably, buttons came to define the political distance between the different strata of individuals in France as well.

It was the Industrial Revolution in the 1760s which helped make buttons a basic necessity for each and every individual. Buttons could now be used by everyone and were not just limited to the upper class. As a result of popular demand, they began to be mass-produced at cheaper rates.

The 20th century brought along with it, the first sign of a new fashion epoch. Plastic began to be used everywhere and soon buttons were made out of the lighter, more affordable material. Soon, all other materials used to make buttons - bone, bronze, horn, shell and metal were replaced by plastic which was easier to handle and perfect for the crafting of buttons.

The 21st century has dawned on mankind and buttons are still as significant as they were more than 5000 years ago. Now, buttons are made by luxury brands like King & Allen who customise the buttons they attach to their suits worth hundreds of dollars. The buttons which are produced now are of two major types - the Horn buttons and Corozo buttons. Horn buttons are the usual buttons which are mass produced in the world. Corozo buttons are made out of the nut of the corozo tree and thus, each button has a unique pattern which never repeats itself - similar to how a fingerprint is never seen twice.

Buttons are probably one of the best reminders of the grace and elegance of man. They show how, even as we build skyscrapers and create incessantly, we also focus on the little details.