A Garment fastener is essentially a part of a system used to hold two pieces of clothing together. In other words, it’s the link between one item of clothing and the other.
Usually, it is a single item working in conjunction with another item. For example, a button works with a buttonhole.
Fasteners play a very functional role in garment making. They help in accurate opening and closing of garments
History of Garment Fasteners
The earliest apparel fastenings can be traced to the Mesolithic era, when needles were used to stitch materials together, and to the age of metals, when evidence of bone buttons and a safety pin-like device are found.
Kinds of Fasteners
There are about two major kinds of fasteners;
Temporary Fastener: This includes hooks for bras. They can be adjusted according to body size or zippers for flys in trousers which provide access for bodily functions.
Permanent Fastener: is used to create shape and form in tailored garments. Examples include stitching and fusing.
List of Fasteners
Buckles
These are fasteners used to join two ends of a belt to keep it secure around the waist.
Snaps(Press Studs)
A snap fastener (also called press stud, popper, snap or tich) is a pair of interlocking discs, made out of a metal or plastic, commonly used in place of traditional buttons to fasten clothing and for similar purposes.
Safety Pins
The safety pin is a variation of the regular pin which includes a simple spring mechanism and a clasp. The clasp serves two purposes: to form a closed loop thereby properly fastening the pin to whatever it is applied to, and to cover the end of the pin to protect the user from the sharp point.
The Safety pin is a good fastener for people who are just learning to sew.
Cuff Links
Cufflinks are used in fastening shirt cuffs. They are an alternative to buttons (which are usually sewn on to the cuffs) The difference between Buttons and Cufflinks lies in the fact that Cufflink exist as separate items from the shirt..
Brooches
This is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments, often to hold them closed. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold or some other material.
Buttons
Buttons are disc-like pieces of solid material with holes through which they are sewn to the other side of a piece of clothing. They are used to close garments.
Zippers
Zippers are commonly used device for binding the edges of an opening of fabric or other flexible material.
Glass studs
A glass stud is a decorative fastener that fits onto a buttonhole on the front of a pleated shirt, or onto the starched bib of a stiff-front shirt. Such shirts have special buttonholes solely for shirt studs.
This list of Garment fasteners is not exhaustive as there are others not included here. If you liked this post, you will love our post on Tailoring hacks