Buttons are fasteners used to join the two sides of a garment placket. Initially, they served solely to fasten garment front openings. Over time, they have evolved to possess artistic and decorative value — namely individuality — while retaining their original practical function. A well-chosen button can deliver the finishing touch and enhance visual appeal. This is especially evident on women’s apparel, which features a wide variety of colourful decorative buttons.
To elaborate: The component securing the garment front placket is the *niu*; what we commonly refer to as buttons. Other fasteners such as connecting buckles on trench coat straps, which do not fasten front plackets, belong to the *kou*. Conventionally, we combine the two terms under the single name “button”.
