A shirt stud may be fashioned from
alloys,
precious metals, and
gemstones—materials uncommon to
buttons sewn on shirts. The stud may have an
inlay, such as of
pearl or
onyx.
Dress code of the modern western world reserves shirt studs for men's
formal wear and some
semi-formal occasions. In the
western world, shirt studs were first used in the mid-19th century, when some shirt fronts were too stiff to close with buttons. So remains the case for the heavily starched, modern
full dress shirts worn with
white tie. ==See also==