What is the origin of studs on clothing?

As we already mentioned in the post about the small pocket on jeans, the clothes we wear every day have several ornaments, elements that, originally, did not have a decorative function, but a utilitarian one.

One of these ornaments, to which we are already accustomed, are studs, those metallic pieces with large and wide heads that are nailed to certain types of garments, especially denim.

Today, studs give garments a daring, alternative touch, and several urban tribes used them to stand out from the rest in past decades.

However, unlike the small jeans pocket, which was used to store the classic pocket watch, the origin of tacks was not to measure time: it was to save lives.

The protective function of studs

Going back centuries and centuries, armor had a very clear function: to protect the body of the soldiers who wore it. Logically, a full suit of armor was not made up of a single piece, as this would impede movement, with the fatal consequence that this would have.

Rather, the armor was composed of different sheets of leather or metal attached to each other. To reinforce the assembly between the different pieces, studs were used, which ensured a firmer hold.

Some armies also used the studs as a mechanism of intimidation, lengthening and sharpening them as a spike. The favorite places to place these "defensive" studs were the most exposed, such as the chest and arms, although they also came to be used in the armor of horses.

Despite the passage of time and the progressive disappearance of ancient armor, studs continued to be used to reinforce various objects made of leather, fur or wood, such as pieces of furniture.

Studs as a declaration of war

In the 50s and 70s, there were several subcultures that declared war... on the conformist and corseted society. These urban tribes adopted an aggressive aesthetic, which clearly and intentionally differentiated them from the normative fashion of the time.

In some of these aesthetics it was common to find tight clothes, flashy jewelry, chains and, of course, studs, all crowned with hairstyles unimaginable to date.

One of these early "rebel" subcultures was the Halbstarke, a group that emerged in Zurich and exhibited a biker-like aesthetic.

Soon after came the rockers and punks, with their denim or leather jackets, and, at the end of the 80s, some pop divas like Madonna and Cher, pioneers in the use of studs in their "gala" outfits, clearly an aesthetic appropriation of subcultures that did not share precisely that style of music.

The tacks that protect the planet

Decades ago, in Bustins Jeans we lived first hand the change of mentality and aesthetics of the 70s and 80s. In fact, our jeans were protagonists during the years of the movida madrileña, and also strolled along the ramblas of Barcelona.

Today, we are a brand of denim clothing slow fashiona more sustainable and ethical business model based on handmade manufacturing, the use of eco-friendly materials(organic cotton) and a timeless catalog that prioritizes quality over quantity.

In our catalog we also have denim garments with studs, used with two objectives: to give clothes that different and daring touch, and to protect the planet, by offering you durable garments made with increasingly environmentally friendly techniques.