A button can be defined as a small disc, typically round in shape and they are usually attached to garments or to a part of your clothing in order to secure an opening. In modern clothing, small buttons are used, and they are made of plastic, wood, metal, horn and shells. Nowadays, the uses of buttons are not only limited to secure an opening but they are also used as significant garment accessories. Buttons also have a great role in increasing the fineness of the garments. They also help in making the garment user friendly. There are many reputed South African companies that offer different types of clothing buttons. 

How are clothing buttons selected?

Selecting buttons for your garment is an important task. There are some important properties of clothing buttons that you should follow, before attaching them to garments. The details are discussed below:

• Buttons need to be heat resistant
• They should be durable enough and should not break with pressure
• It is recommended to select rust-free buttons
• Buttons should have good fastness properties, especially wash fastness.

Different Types of Buttons:

1. Ligne Number and Numbers of Wholes:

Normally the sizes of the button are measured by “Ligne”. 1 ligne=0.635mm. There are various types of buttons available according to their sizes like 12L, 16L, 18L, 28L, 32L, 36L and many others. According to the number of holes, a button comes in two types - 2H or Two holes button or 4H or Four holes button.

2. Materials:

Different materials are used for making buttons. Plastic buttons are usually cheap and they are not shiny or glossy. Plastic buttons are widely used in making shirts. Usually, the plastic buttons are made of polyamide and polyacrylonitrite. Metal buttons are usually used in denim, jeans and trousers. Wooden buttons and printed buttons are generally used for decoration purpose. Horn buttons are generally used in shirts and pants. Artificial horn buttons are also available. They are usually made of nylon, plastics and other additives. Chalk buttons are usually used in shirts.

3. Other types of buttons:

There are also other types of buttons available in the market like snap buttons, shank buttons, decorative buttons and rivets. Snap buttons can be made from plastic or metal. These types of buttons are ideal for hidden fastenings. Shank buttons usually have a hole or loop at the back through which they can be attached. Decorative buttons are widely used in the fashion industry. These types of buttons are not only used for fastening but also for decorative purposes. A rivet is a metal part with a pin. This type of button is a permanent mechanical fastener. They are used to support denim garments or jeans. They have two parts and it requires an appropriate device to attach onto the garments.

4. Lapel Buttons:

Lapel buttons are usually attached to the lapel with a small, thin and pointed object that fastens with your clothing. They can also have a backing that you can snap on, giving it a more permanent attachment.

These are some common types of buttons that are widely used in the fashion and garment industry.