Closure · 7 min read
Closures — hooks-and-eyes, snaps, lacing, velcro
Before the zipper became common in the 1930s, every garment closed some other way. Hooks-and-eyes, snaps, drawstrings, lacing — each has a dating window and tells you which era you are looking at.
Closures are an underrated dating clue because most collectors look first at the zipper (or its absence). The hook, the snap, the lace, the eye — each evolved at a specific point. Reading them takes thirty seconds and rules out half the date range.
Hooks-and-eyes — the dominant Victorian and Edwardian closure
Metal hooks-and-eyes (the small wire fasteners that interlock) date from the eighteenth century onward and were the standard closure for women's clothing through 1930. They appear at the centre back of bodices, at side seams, and as supplementary fasteners under buttons. The size, finish, and stitching pattern of the hook tells you the era. Eighteenth-century hooks are larger and often hand-forged; nineteenth-century hooks are smaller and machine-pressed; early-twentieth-century hooks are smaller still, often coated in cotton or silk thread to prevent fabric snags.
- Coated hooks (wrapped in cotton or silk): late Victorian through 1920s — a quality marker.
- Heavy untreated brass hooks: pre-1850 or working-class.
- Spring-loaded 'hook-and-bar' closures (a hook that springs into a metal bar): early twentieth century, 1900–1940.
- Plastic hooks (rare): post-1960; almost never on quality pieces.
Snaps — the dating timeline
The snap fastener was patented in 1885 by Heribert Bauer in Germany and refined into the modern form by 1903. Commercial use in fashion begins around 1910. Each major brand has identifiable stamps on the underside.
| Brand | Active dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dot | Around 1903 onward, peak 1920s–1950s | American Snap Fastener Company. Stamped 'DOT' on the underside. |
| Gripper | 1930s–1980s | Scovill Manufacturing. Common on American workwear and quality day-wear. |
| Newey | Late 19th century onward | British. Standard for Edwardian and early 1920s pieces. |
| Prym | 1903 onward | German. Common in European garments. |
| Generic unmarked | All eras | Quality variable; check the spring action. |
Lacing — when and where
Back-lacing (cord through eyelets) was a primary corset closure throughout the Victorian and Edwardian eras and persisted on certain garment categories long after the corset itself was abandoned. A back-laced bodice on an 'Edwardian' piece is consistent with the period; on a '1930s' piece it is unusual and worth investigating. Lacing also appears as a decorative element on 1970s peasant blouses (revival of folk costume), and as a structural closure on certain 1980s body-conscious pieces (Alaïa, especially, used corseted lacing in evening pieces).
Velcro — strict post-1955
Hook-and-loop fastener (Velcro) was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in the late 1940s, patented in 1955. Commercial use in fashion is post-1960 and the technology only became reliably soft enough for clothing in the 1970s. Any garment with Velcro is post-1955 at minimum, and realistically post-1965 for fashion use. Velcro on an 'authentic 1950s' piece is a clear red flag.
Drawstrings and ties
Drawstring waistlines appear in Empire-period dresses (1790–1820), Edwardian tea-gowns, 1970s peasant blouses, and modern athletic wear. Each iteration has period-specific details: Empire drawstrings use cotton or silk cord through hand-worked eyelets; Edwardian tea-gowns use silk satin ribbon; 1970s peasant blouses use thicker cotton with metal aglets. Construction context rather than the drawstring alone is what dates the piece.
A garment with NO closures at all (pulled over the head, fit determined by cut alone) is most commonly 1930s bias-cut, 1970s Halston, or modern reproduction. The three are distinguishable by fabric and seam construction.
Frequently asked
If a piece has both hooks-and-eyes AND a zipper, which one dates it?
Both must be present originally for the dating to apply, and 'both present originally' is uncommon. Usually one is a later replacement or alteration. Look at the thread colour and stitching pattern of each closure; a closure added later typically has thread that doesn't match the surrounding work. The original closure dates the piece.
Are old snaps reliable to wear?
Pre-1940 snaps are often weakened by age and corrosion. Many lose spring tension and pop open unexpectedly. For a piece you intend to wear, have a textile conservator replace original snaps with matched modern equivalents and keep the originals in a labelled envelope. Replaced snaps reduce value 10–15% but restore wearability.
By Margaret Hale·Published 18 May 2026·Last reviewed 18 May 2026