Functional buttons with buttonholes for fastening or closing clothes appeared in Germany in the 13th century. They soon became widespread with the rise of snug-fitting garments in 13th- and 14th-century Europe.
Celluloid buttons became very popular during the late 1900s through the 1920s. They can be opaque, transparent, or both, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some had metal on the back.
Early History The precursor to the button fastener was the fibula, a brooch or pin used to hold two pieces of clothing on the shoulder or chest. The button began to replace the fibula at least by the early Middle Ages, if not sooner. Buttons functioned as primary fastenings for mens dress earlier than for womens.
Other early buttons were made out of materials including bone, horn, bronze and wood. Later, buttons took on more practical duties. In ancient Rome buttons were used to secure clothes, some having to support reams of fabric at a single point.
In medieval Europe, garments were laced together or fastened with brooches or clasps and points, until buttonholes were invented in the 13th century. Then buttons became so prominent that in some places sumptuary laws were passed putting limits on their use. More commonly, buttons were made of bone or wood.
Buttonholes are reinforced holes in fabric that buttons pass through, allowing one piece of fabric to be secured to another.
Shank buttons (also known as shank back buttons) arent flat. And they dont have holes on their surface. Instead shank buttons have a protrusion on the back (a “hidden” hole), through which thread is sewn in order to attach the button onto fabric. Shank buttons can be made from a number of different materials.