That jar of buttons tucked in your dresser drawer has quite a history. Buttons were an innovation that changed the way kings dressed — and regular people, too.
The first evidence of the button really comes from the Indus Valley (modern-day Pakistan) about 2800 BC. They were used either as ornaments or tied with leather or thread to secure clothing. Many ancient buttons from China, Greece and Rome were more like broaches, made of metal glass or stone and pinned on garments as decorations.
It wasn't until the 13th century that Europeans began using buttons really as fasteners and that was because of an amazing German invention in the 13th century: The buttonhole. That led to an explosion of both fashion and button makers. Kings immediately adopted buttons as status symbols. By 1520, King Francis I of France bedecked a garment with 13,600 buttons, according to Rocklanddaily.com. That was mainly done to dazzle King Henry VIII, but when the two men met, it seemed Henry was similarly outfitted in gold buttons.
By the 19th century, ladies were wearing button shoes and the button was on its way to becoming a standard in clothing.
Today, if your button jar is taking up too-much space, consider using them for crafts. Break out the glue gun and decorate a picture frame or make a Christmas plaque. If you have special buttons left from garments of relatives, be sure to tell the story to recipients of your gifts.
