The buckle originated in circa 700 B.C.E. Many examples survive from ancient Greece and Rome, and indeed from all over Europe into the Middle Ages. The word buckle corner from the Latin word bucca meaning "cheek." Due to its ease of use and manufacture, the buckle continues as a solution to the many fastening problems posed by clothing and equipment.
Early buckles were manufactured from bone, ivory, and metal and were used on military gear, harnesses, and armor, being favored mainly because of their durability. The use of the buckle was not restricted to these areas though; they were commonly used as fasteners on boots and shoes and, prior to the invention of the zip, on clothing.
The addition of decorative ornamentation lifted the buckle out of its utilitarian realm. Buckles made of silver and bronze and inlaid with precious stones have been found in graves and tombs such as that of Childeric I, king of the Franks, who died in 481 C.E. Jeweled shoe buckles were in vogue during the reign of Louis XIV. During the nineteenth century, the British Navy was at the height of its power, but it had one intractable problem; the sailors clothes were fastened with laces and eyelets. In cold, wet conditions the fastenings became fiddly to use, and waterlogged clothes were poorly supported by the laces. One clever seaman allegedly had the idea of fastening a buckle to a leather strap and using this to hold up his trousers; it worked, and was easy to use, even with freezing fingers.
Today, buckles remain a fashion accessory though lack the status of jewelry.
