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I’m looking for a word which describes all of buttons, zippers, and pegs — or any objects used to secure clothing, such as on the face of a t-shirt or jacket.

I’ve considered using seal and connector, but they seem out of place in the context of clothing. I’m not looking for a specialized word specifically for these things, but something which they appropriately fall under.

(It will be the name of a parameter in the description of an item of clothing in a program which can have one of the values listed above.)

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    Not a single word, but if you search using Clothing Fastener, Google images returns visuals of all the items in your list. – Autoresponder Feb 9 '13 at 5:41
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I suggest fastening (“a hook or similar restraint used to fasten things together”). By the way, if you were referring to snaps, catches, etc. as used with jewelry, the proper word probably would be finding (“A self-contained component of assembled jewellery”). By extension, snaps and hooks used with clothing might also be called findings.

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When confined to clothing, clothing fasteners seems to be the perfect general term to me. (But keep in mind I am not a native English speaker.)

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  • In North American English, I believe 'Fastener' is most commonly used; 'fastening' would be rare. 'Fastener' will also always be understood to be a noun. – MickeyfAgain_BeforeExitOfSO Nov 30 '17 at 13:22
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There isn't an official term, the closest would be allotments or habilitations. These take into consideration buttons, buttonholes, waistbands, pockets, zippers, boning, openings (slits), hooks, findings (the rings and sliders on bras) and any other fastening or accessory you'd typically 'mark' on a pattern.

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    This would be improved with authoritative definitions for "allotments" and "habilitations" in this context. – KillingTime May 15 '20 at 15:22
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The term that covers buttons, zippers and similar components of clothing is haberdashery. The word may, admittedly, be somewhat broader than what the OP has in mind, because it includes more or less everything that may be a part of a piece of clothing, other than the fabric; while most of the objects covered by this term play some role in fastening, its meaning is not limited to them.

Haberdashery is a mass term. It, however, has this meaning only in British English. If one attempted to use the word in this sense in an American English context, one would not only not be understood, but would be bound to be misunderstood, as the word has a different meaning in American English (men's clothing in general).

The American English equivalent of haberdashery is notions. That word should, however, be used in this sense only if one is speaking to people who can be presumed to be familiar with sewing and its terminology, and only if the context makes it clear that this meaning, rather than the more usual one, is intended.

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