Styles and design · 8 October 2026 · 4 min read
What is a tich button? Press studs on a kameez
A tich button is a press stud: two small discs that snap together inside an opening. Where tich buttons work on a kameez and where a hook or button holds better.
InspirationTich button, press stud, snap
A tich button is what tailors in Pakistan call a press stud, also known as a snap fastener. It has two halves: one with a small raised knob and one with a socket. Each half is sewn to opposite sides of an opening, and pressing them together closes it with a click. Nothing shows on the outside, which is why tich buttons are used wherever an opening should look closed and tidy.
Sew-on tich buttons come in metal, usually silver or black, and in clear plastic. The clear kind is handy on sheer fabrics, where a dark metal disc would show through.
Where tich buttons are used on a kameez
Most kameez openings are small and carry little strain, which is exactly where a press stud works well.
- Under a decorative placket. Ornamental buttons sit on top and the tich buttons beneath do the actual closing, so there are no buttonholes to stitch. Our guide to kurta plackets and buttons shows the placket shapes.
- At a neckline slit. A single press stud partway down a round neck with a slit lets you choose how far it opens.
- At a back neck opening, so the kameez goes over the head easily and then sits closed.
- On nursing openings, where a hidden row along a seam opens quickly with one hand. See our nursing-friendly kurtas guide.
- At cuffs, on a sleeve narrow enough to need an opening at the wrist.
- For small add-ons, such as a removable dupatta or a bra-strap keeper.
Press stud vs button: how they compare
- Look: a press stud is invisible from outside. A button shows and is often part of the design.
- Speed: a press stud opens and closes in a second. Buttons take longer, especially small ones in loops.
- Hold: a button in a buttonhole resists a sideways pull much better. A press stud lets go when the two halves are pulled apart.
- Bulk: a small press stud lies almost flat. A button adds a little height, which can show under a fitted layer.
- Care: both survive washing. Iron around a press stud rather than over it, since the hot metal can mark fine cloth.
Where a tich button pops open
The weakness of a press stud is that the same pull that tests a seam can simply unsnap it. Wherever an opening is under steady strain, a different fastening is the safer choice. A closely fitted bust or waist opening tends to spring open when you sit, reach or breathe deeply, so a zip or hooks are usually used there. A trouser or skirt waistband carries your weight all day and needs a hook and bar or a button. A heavy, embroidered dupatta fixed with one stud at the shoulder can drag it loose, so a stronger attachment or several studs is better.
A good compromise on a front placket is to use buttons and buttonholes where the strain is greatest, at the bust, and press studs elsewhere.
How to ask for tich buttons
Write it in plain words in your notes, for example “hidden press studs under the placket, decorative buttons on top” or “one tich button halfway down the neck slit”. Say if you prefer clear ones on a light fabric. Your choices are written into the quote and agreed before cutting, as the custom stitching page describes, and you can request a quote with a photo of the placket you like.
Common questions
Can tich buttons go in the washing machine?
Yes. Close them before washing so the knob does not catch other clothes, and avoid ironing directly over them.
Are press studs suitable for chiffon?
Small ones are, ideally clear plastic. On a sheer fabric they are usually sewn onto a narrow strip of facing or lining so the stitches do not pull the cloth.
Is a tich button the same as a hook and eye?
No. A hook and eye is a small metal hook that catches a loop or bar. It holds firmly against a sideways pull, which is why it is used at waistbands and the top of zips.
