Who are the Pearly Kings and Queens?

In the 1880’s a huge cargo of fashionable pearl buttons arrived in London from Japan. One of the street vendors in the markets of the time liked the look of them, and he decided to sew of these buttons around the hems of his trousers. The fashion soon caught on among the street vendors, with people trying to outdo one another in the number of buttons they had on their clothes and the various patterns they were in. The Pearly Kings and Queens were elected by the rest of the street vendors, or costers as they were known, to lead them against bullies who were trying to drive them out of their patch.

Today, the Pearlies are still in evidence in London, their clothes encrusted with pearl buttons sewn in various complex and detailed patterns and designs. These days, however, the pearly clothes are worm only for things like charity work and special occasions they are much too heavy and ornate to work in!