FABRIC NAMES & DESCRIPTIONS

SEWING TOOLS

SEWING TECHNIQUES

COLOUR NAMES

FUR & LEATHER NAMES

EMBELLISHMENTS

BUTTONS

EMBROIDERY

DYESTUFFS & DYEING

Buttons

By the 13th century, buttons were in everyday use for clothing, although the materials they were made from and the number of them on any one garment varied greatly.

Buttons down the front of a lady's kirtle could be made from matching cloth of the gown they were intended for or of metal or semi-precious stones set into metal clasps. As with almost every other aspect of medieval clothing, it depended on what occasion the gown was to be worn at and who was wearing it. Lower classes would have to be content with matching cloth buttons, while the upper classes would have preferred yet another chance to display their wealth on their clothing with metal buttons.

It is noted that the flat, modern button with two or four holes drilled right through seem to be unworn at that time. Toggles, however, appear known but not generally worn on clothing except as cloak fastenings.

The round buttons at left top are from the Uppsala Cathedral Treasury and are similar to the kind found on the Uppsala Gown, one of the only existing gowns from the middle medieval period.

At left is a beautiful example of a late 14th century tin button with glass stone set into it. It has a shank and is from the collection at the Museum of London. At right is pictured a round, gold button from the 10th century which also looks similar to the Uppsala buttons.

The image at right shows the front and back of the button which is a shanked button with a domed top. It is dated between the 1300s and 1400s.

The number of buttons on the front and sleeves of a garment appear to vary. Some illustrations show buttons from wrist to elbow or right up the back of the upper arm. Buttons were usually set very closely together. Cloth buttons were round and ball-shaped.

Shown at right is a garment fragment from the 1400s from the Museum of London showing the sleeve and cloth buttons. Unlike modern buttons, they were set at the very edge of the garment opening as shown at right.

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