a buckle trim or slide. It may have been designed this particular way or it may have lost its prongs through continuous use. This type was frequently used in home dress-making (belt end being secured with the simple hook-and-eye) and was purely used for decoration for items such as shoe fronts to conceal unattractive elastic fitting. Conventional (belt) buckle The belt buckle is the conventional buckle with a frame, bar and prong gives the most reliable and easy-to-use closure for a belt. It is not meant, by design, to offer much space for decoration, but for its time-tested reliability. Side release buckle A conventional snap-fit buckle that is formed by a "male" buckle member—the hook end—and a "female" buckle member—the insertion end. The male buckle member consists of a center rod and two spring prongs equally spaced from the center rod. The two spring arms each have a retaining block that terminates at the front end. The female buckle member has a front open side and two side holes which hold and secure the two spring arms of the male buckle member. This sort of buckle may be found connecting many strapped items such as pet harnesses, safety harnesses, personal flotation jackets, fanny packs and other bags, belts, gun slings, and boots. It is also known as the "parachute buckle". They are often used in conjunction with tri-glide slides. Western and cowboy (belt) buckles In the United States, during the American Civil War of the 1860s, some members of the military wore brass belt buckles. These buckles had a pin that was inserted directly into the belt, thus not having any moving parts. In 1920, this type of buckle was awarded to winners of professional rodeo contests at the San Francisco Cow Palace in California. Throughout the 1920s and later, they were used as trophies awarded to champions of bull riding, barrel racing, steer roping, bronc riding and other rodeo skill competitions. By the 1950s, Hollywood Westerns featured cowboys wearing large, shiny belt buckles and this influenced country/western fashion. During the 1990s, country/western dance competitions mirrored the practice by awarding championship buckles to their dance champions. Modern-day western belt buckles are commonly made of silver, brass, pewter, zinc alloy, or stainless steel. See also Turnbuckle Shoe buckle Knee buckle References External links Footwear components Textile closures