A hook or device for buttoning; a tool that helps fasten buttons, especially on tight clothing or from a distance.
From 'button' (Middle French bouton, from Old French boton meaning 'bud' or 'knob') plus 'hook,' describing a physical tool developed for practical dressing needs.
Button hooks became essential fashion accessories in the Victorian and Edwardian eras when people wore dozens of tiny buttons on boots, gloves, and corsets—imagine trying to fasten 20 buttons on a boot without tools!
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