Velcro is the commercial name for loop and hook fasteners. Velcro is a set of two tapes one with a looped napped surface and the other with a hooked napped surface. When both the surfaces are pressed together they grip and remain locked until pulled apart. They are usually made of nylon and are available in meters. They are used on cuffs, plackets, mosquito nets, and other such items. Velcro is popular in infant garments.

Snaps (also called press stud, dome fastener, popper, press button, or tich) are available in different sizes and weights and are used to hold edges that will not have much strain when the garment is worn. It has two sections: a stud and a socket. The stud is attached on the wrong side of the overlap and the socket comes over its impression on the underside of the placket. The press buttons have four holes into which button-hole stitches are made to hold them firmly to the garment. This is best suited for kids garments

Zippers come in a wide variety of colors, lengths, and types. All zippers consist of either a chain of metal or plastic teeth or a synthetic coil joined to a fabric tape made of cotton or cotton-polyester blend.

It has stoppers at the top or bottom which keep the sliders from running off the zip-per. There are three basic types of zippers available in the market.

(i) Conventional Zipper: These are zippers with exposed teeth or chains and open at the top but are held together at the bottom.

(ii) Separating Zipper: They are open at both the top and the bottom and permit the zipper opening to separate completely as in jackets with opened fronts.

(iii) Invisible Zipper: They are the newest zippers and as the name implies they are not visible in the front as they disappear into the seam. They are mostly used in skirts and in dresses.

Buttonholes are companions to buttons when a button and buttonhole closure is the desired method to open and close a garment. Their size, shape, and placement depend on the button. Therefore, buttons must be purchased before any consideration can be given to the buttonholes

a thread-lipped buttonhole made on the sewing machine with a special attachment or a built-in pattern on the machine that must be selected

- a thread-lipped buttonhole made by hand or first worked on the machine and then finished with hand stitching.

- used when the garment design has an appropriate seam that can be left open (unstitched) to accommodate the button.

- cord or small fabric strips used with buttons to connect garment pieces. They are frequently used with a ball and dome-shaped buttons.

a fabric-lipped buttonhole used in tailored garments.

Select a suitable button and thread that matches the button, the garment, and any thread used to sew on other buttons.

If you like, you can double the thread to make this job quicker. Simply pull it through the needle so that there is an equal length of thread extending from both sides.

Tie a knot at the end of the thread. One way to tie a knot is to wrap the thread around your finger as shown, roll the thread between your fingers, and pull it tight. If you doubled the thread, tie the ends together. Leave a long tail of thread, whether you are doubling the thread or using a single thread that way you can sew the button.

Position the button on the fabric. Line the button up with the other buttons on the garment.

• Check the buttonhole. Close the opposite flap or panel where you want it and make sure that the button lines up with the buttonhole.

• If the button was on correctly before, you can often go by the little holes in the fabric where the button used to be. You can see the pinholes alongside the button in the photo.

Push the threaded needle up through the fabric and through one hole in the button. Pull the thread all the way through on each stitch.

Place a pin or toothpick across the center of the button and hold it there until the next stitch helps keep it in place. When the pin is withdrawn later, it will allow the slack necessary to create a "shank" so that there will be space behind the button for the material that will need to go there when the garment is buttoned.

Push the needle down through the next hole and through the fabric. Still holding the pin in place, pull the thread all the way through. Once that is done, the pin will be kept in place by the thread. In this photo, the button was lifted up to show what's going where, but it's best to hold the button in place so it does not move.

Bring the needle up through the first hole (for a 2-hole button) or a new hole (for a 4-hole button) and pull the thread all the way through the fabric.

Repeat the sewing process enough times to make sure the button is securely in place. On 4-hole buttons, make sure that the stitches have been made evenly, so that all four holes are equally used.

On the last stitch, push the needle through the material, but not through a hole in the button.

Pull the thread out into the area between button and material, remove the pin and pull up the button a little.

Wrap the thread six times around the thread between the button and the material to reinforce the shank you have created.

Push the needle back down through the material.

Make three or four back stitches to secure the thread

Cut off the excess thread.

These are used mostly on waistbands due to their durability and flat structure. A flatter, wider style allows for adjoining lapped edges to remain flatter and smoother and has more leverage when closed and opened. These hook and eye styles are designed for lapped edges only. They serve a much more functional purpose than aesthetics and should be placed on the underside of a clothing item.

From our brief introduction above, you are already familiar with the structure of a hook and eye closure. While the hook portion is usually the same structure across multiple styles, the eye varies depending on end-use. A round eye is most appropriate for abutted edges- edges that meet and touch but do not overlap. A round structure for the eye portion allows for a more comfortable hook insertion along abutted edges.

As opposed to a round eye, a straight eye is most appropriate for use on lapped edges- edges that overlap. The hook portion is sewn to the top overlapping portion while the straight eye is placed on the bottom layer of this overlapping structure. When used on lapped edges, a straight eye allows for a more stable closure preventing the hook from moving around when fastened. Due to the nature of the overlapping layers, the hook is easily inserted through the straight eye portion

Thread-covered hooks and eyes are usually found in larger options and used in applications where the hook and eye closure are visible on the outside of the clothing item. The thread cover serves a decorative purpose. These closures are often used at the opening edge of jackets, blazers, cardigans, coats, etc. If you prefer the look of a thread-covered hook and eye and you can't find what you're looking for in stores, you can actually cover a regular hook and eye with thread at home using a blanket stitch.

Although not as durable and maybe not as commonly found, a thread eye is used to replace the traditional round or straight metal eye. It is used in applications where the garment's fabric cannot withstand a metal structure or in situations where the color of the eye has to blend in with the surface of the fabric. You technically can't buy a thread eye at the local fabric/craft store (although they are available in larger styles). Thread eyes are constructed by hand using a blanket stitch or the cording method. The advantage of being able to make them from scratch at home is that you get to decide on size, shape, and color.