A closure made from the garment’s own fabric
On many traditional Chinese jackets and robes, the fastening is a pankou: a knotted fabric toggle paired with a loop. The toggle is shaped from a narrow, often corded strip of cloth; its mate is sewn onto the opposite edge. When the toggle passes through the loop, the two garment edges draw together. A tug on the cloth keeps the fastening seated, while reversing that motion releases it.
Why use a loop instead of a buttonhole?
A buttonhole requires an opening cut into the garment and finished so its edges will not fray. A fabric loop avoids that cut. The closure can be attached to the garment’s edge, and its shape can be adjusted to suit the toggle. With several fasteners spaced along a front opening, each one helps hold the edges in place without a row of conventional buttons.
The method also makes the fastening part of the garment’s design. Pankou can be made in contrasting or matching cloth and shaped into knots or other motifs, so the detail that closes a jacket can also decorate it. The same small piece of fabric does two jobs: it locks the edges together and gives the closure its visible form.
