THE ORIGIN OF BUTTONS

 The Indus Valley Civilisation are credited with the invention of the button. The first buttons were used as ornamental embellishments to a person’s attire and signified wealth or status.

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They had small holes drilled into their surfaces and were attached to clothing by thread, often forming geometric patterns rather than the straight lines we know today. As the centuries progressed, the button became used more and more as a fastener for clothes, with the ancient Romans using them to fix clothing in place with pins.

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The middle ages brought with them the invention of the all-important buttonhole, which was to quietly revolutionise clothing. A stunningly-simple but elegant design, the geometrics allowed for the button to pass through the opening and be slotted firmly in place.  Fashion would never be the same again.

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Buttons would still be the preserve of the rich and fabulous for years to come, until the mass production of the Industrial Revolution saw the button become a ubiquitous staple. The style was pared-down, the shape flattened-out and four holes were drilled into the surface, meaning that it could be quickly and securely attached to clothing.

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Buttons nowadays come in a wide variety of colours and shapes, but the flat, circular shape still remains the most popular.

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