Various Forms of Closures

Embellishments Myths

Myth: There were no buttons used, and everything was closed with ribbon laces or ties.

As can be seen above, there were a variety of forms of closing a garment. Some images are difficult to determine how the garments are closed, and others may appear to be one way (i.e. such as "metal" grommets) when they actually were another way (for example, hand bound eyelets in yellow thread or brass rings).

The following are the more common means of closing:

• Buttons, made of metal or thread over wooden core
• Lacing was usually spiral laced, sometimes ladder laced, possibly double spiral laced, and infrequently cross-laced.
• Hook and eyes
• Lacing rings
• Pins were used as well, from pinning the front of a gown shut, to simply pinning on a sleeve.

Mary Magdalen, by Rogier van der Weyden, 2nd third of 15th century.

Image #368 & 369. Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion, the cut and construction of clothes for men and women c1560-1620. 1985. Drama Book Publishers, New York. ISBN 0896760278.

Portrait of Ginevra Benci, by Leonardo da Vinci, 1474-1476

Cast replicas from artifacts dated from the 1550s to 1600s. Powell, John T.. The Age of Spanish Exploration, Conquest, and Early Colonization [Article] ©1998-2004. Retrieved March 20, 2006 from the World Wide Web http://www.artifacts.org/conquest.htm

More info on spiral and ladder lacing can be found at The Zen of Spiral Lacing.