Examples included:
Women’s boots.
Men’s dress boots.
Children’s shoes.
Long gloves.
Dresses.
Jackets.
Corsets.
Many of these buttons were extremely small and fit tightly into reinforced buttonholes.
Without a button hook, fastening them could become frustrating.
Looking More Closely at the Design
The objects in the photograph share several characteristics commonly found in antique button hooks.
These include:
Long metal shafts.
Curved hooked tips.
Decorative textured handles.
Rounded ends for comfortable grip.
Durable steel construction.
Some examples even featured ornate silver handles, carved wood grips, ivory, bone, or engraved decorative patterns.
The textured handles improved grip while using the tool.
Why Are There Several Different Sizes?
Many antique families owned multiple button hooks.
Different sizes served different purposes.
For example:
Small Hooks
Perfect for gloves with tiny buttons.
Medium Hooks
Ideal for shirts, jackets, and children’s clothing.
Large Hooks
Designed for sturdy leather boots with larger buttons.
Having several sizes made dressing much easier depending on the garment.
A Common Item in Every Home
Before zippers became common in the early 20th century, button hooks were everyday necessities.
People often kept them:
On dressing tables.
Inside sewing baskets.
In bedroom drawers.
Alongside shoe-care supplies.
In travel cases.
Some families even carried small folding versions while traveling.
The Arrival of the Zipper
Everything changed as clothing design evolved.
The widespread adoption of zippers during the 1920s and 1930s dramatically reduced the need for button hooks.
Over time:
Boots changed style.
Buttons became larger.
Elastic materials became popular.
Slip-on shoes increased in popularity.
As a result, button hooks gradually disappeared from everyday life.
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