placket

A placket is a garment feature comprising a reinforced slit or opening that allows the garment to be fastened or removed. It is typically a strip of fabric applied along an opening such as a center-front edge of a shirt or blouse, or along the waist, zipper area, or cuff.

In shirts and blouses, the most common form is the button placket, a long double layer of fabric along the center-front edge containing buttonholes on one side and buttons on the other to secure the garment. Variants include the standard exposed placket and the hidden or invisible placket, which conceals the buttons beneath an additional fabric layer or seam so the front appears smooth.

A French placket (sometimes called a split-front placket) is a variation in which no separate outer placket strip is visible; the front panels are cut to form the edge and the buttons lie directly on the front fabric, often giving a clean line.

In trousers, skirts, and dresses, a fly or fly front placket encloses a zipper or buttons behind a fabric panel, helping to conceal the fastening and create a flat front.

Cuff plackets are small openings at the ends of sleeves that allow the cuff to expand for ease of movement; they are reinforced and finished to match the sleeve.

Construction considerations include reinforcement with interfacing or extra fabric, neat edge finishing, and appropriate topstitching. Plackets balance function with style and vary widely across garments and fashion eras.