고조선에서는 직물의 발달과 함께 장식양식이 보다 화려해져, 뼈나 뿔, 조개껍질 등으로 만들어진 것보다 옥과 청동, 철을 재료로 하여 만들어진 것들이 적극적으로 사용되었다. 뼈와 뿔, 조개껍질, 옥은 다양한 장신구의 재료가 되었고, 청동과 철은 주로 둥근 모양과 나뭇잎모양의 장식단추로 만들어져 의복 위에 달아매어 화려하게 장식했다. 또한 다양한 종류의 직물 발달은 의복에 다는 장식단추와 장식품의 사용도 직물의 성격과 아울리게 변화시키는 구실을 하였다. 고조선유적에서 출토되는 청동장식단추는 그 양식이 주로 원형과 나뭇잎모양으로 나타난다. 청동장식단추는 표면에 문양을 나타내는 경우와 문양이 없는 소면 상태의 두 종류로 크게 구분된다. 표현된 문양은 대부분 신석기시대의 문양양식을 그대로 계승하여 새김무늬질그릇이나 가락바퀴 등에 보이는 양식과 같다. 청동장식단추의 형태는 크기와 양식에서 매우 다양하다. 고조선 사람들은 청동장식단추를 의복뿐만 아니라 모자나 신발 또는 활집 등 복식의 여러 부분에 자유롭게 사용했다. 한민족의 여러나라에서는 모자에 새깃을 꽂는 것 이외에 부여, 고구려, 백제, 신라, 가야 등에서 금과 은, 옥 등으로 장식단추를 만들어 장식했다. 이러한 고급 장식재료는 중국이나 북방지역에서 볼 수 없는 것으로 고조선의 전통을 계승한 화려하고 높은 수준의 관모 양식이다. 고조선사람들이 의복에 장식했던 청동장식단추의 양식은 고조선이 붕괴된 이후 여러나라시대로 이어져 나라마다 조금씩 특색을 달리하여 발전해 나간다. 예에서 일반적으로 남자들이 입는 웃옷에 약 5cm 이상 되는 은화를 꿰매어 장식했다. 부여사람들은 금과 은으로 화려하게 장식한 모자를 썼다. 동옥저와 고구려 사람들도 청동장식단추로 화려하게 장식했다. 마한 사람들은 북방지역에서 청동장식단추를 많이 사용한 것과 달리 의복에 주로 구슬을 장식했다. 이러한 내용들은 일반인의 의복에서도 화려한 장식이 가능했던 한민족 복식의 특징으로 중국이나 북방지역과의 차이점이다.
Since the early periods of the Neolithic era, people who were living around the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria attached ornamental buttons and beads on their cloths to close up the gapand threaded decorations in harmony with the buttons to complete liberal beauty in shape. In the Neolithic era, people often used not only decorations made of bones, horns, seashells, and mud, but also decorations made delicately out of jade. In that time, the forms of ornamental buttons and decoration techniques have hugely developed with the expansion of textile production and improvement in sewing skills. Ornamental buttons were mainly made in circular shapes out of mud or stone, and jade buttons had newly appeared. In Gojoseon period, the forms of decorations became fancier with the development of textile. Jade, bronze, or steel were used actively rather than bones, horns, or seashells. Bones, horns, seashells, and jade were materials tor various decorations while bronze and steel were usually used to make circular or leaf-shaped ornamental buttons to be attached to clothes as fancy decorations. The development of textile has also brought change to ornamental buttons and decorations so it would better fit the nature of the fabric. Naturally, new decorative techniques were added to the ornamental buttons making them mote bold and dynamic. The people of Gojoseon used bronze ornamental buttons on nor only their clothes bur also other parts of their clothing such as hats, shoes, and bow cases. People of many ancient countries of Korea pur feathers on their hats while gold, silver, and jade were used to decorate hats in countries such as Buyeo, Goguryeo, Baekje, Shilla, and Gaya. These advanced decorative materials were unseen in China or northern regions and allowed the achievement of fancy and high-quality forms as well as the inheritance of Gojoseon tradition in the making of official hars. In Gojoseon, bronze ornamental buttons were used nor only on general clothing bur also on armors and bronze helmets which were classified as special clothing. Bronze ornamental buttons must have naturally been applied to armors because they were already being widely used to decorate ordinary clothes. In addition, with the utilization of bronze, leather and bones are thought to be replaced by bronze for armor-making because stones and bones had been replaced by bronze for making tools and weapons during this rime. The bronze ornamental buttons that were used as decorations for clothes since before the Gojoseon period and were passed on to many countries after the breakdown of Gojoseon as well as to the age of the Three Stares becoming a foundation of decoration forms for Koreans. Hence, as a result of examining the comparative analysis of ornamental buttons in ancient Korean costumes and its diachronic transmission, we came to a basis for modifying the traditional view of Korean clothing being originated from or influenced by China or northern Chinese garment. Therefore, being the elements of our culture presenting our will of design as well as the vibrant and dynamic national sentiment of Koreans, the identity of circular and leaf-shaped ornamental buttons must be positioned in a corrective manner.