You don’t really need those little rivets on your blue jeans. Those flat metal disks are leftovers from an earlier time, when jeans had to be much more durable. Such decorative elements that no longer serve a practical purpose are called...
rivet n.— «An apprentice ironworker who does jobs such as running for coffee and getting tools for the journeymen. Rivet: Another nickname for an apprentice.Rivet: Another nickname for an apprentice.» —“Chicago Speak” by...