Shirts designed for men and women button on different sides, with men’s buttons appearing on the right hand side and women’s buttons on the left.
This is a bit odd given that humans are predominantly right-handed, and women a to be right-handed than men. So how have we ended up in a situation where nearly half the population has to button up their shirt using their non-dominant hand?
The answer appears to be as old as shirt buttons themselves. One oft-repeated theory is that men had their buttons on the right-hand side just in case they got themselves caught up in a sword fight, as is so often the case in modern times.
“A gentleman’s sword was always worn on the left side, so that it could be drawn with the right hand,” Paul Keers, author of A Gentleman’s Wardrobe, explained to . “If a jacket buttoned right over left, the handle of the sword would be likely to catch in the jacket opening when drawn, so any serious swordsman would demand a tunic which buttoned left over right. As an indication of a masculine lifestyle, this tradition was then extended to other items of menswear.”
This could explain why men’s buttons are on the right, but why make the effort to have them on the other side for women? While it would be nice to provide a definitive answer, there are a number of theories why the difference emerged, and remained as standard practice.
One theory, supported by , is that buttons were placed on the opposite side on women’s clothing to make it easier for somebody else to dress them.
“When buttons were invented in the 13th century they were, like most new technology, very expensive,” Melanie M. Moore, founder of women’s blouse brand Elizabeth & Clarke, told . “Wealthy women back then did not dress themselves – their lady’s maid did. Since most people were right-handed, this made it easier for someone standing across from you to button your dress.”
This likely developed into a sign of wealth, having buttons on the wrong side to show you’re far too rich to dress yourself.
Another theory is that women’s shirts button on that side as wealthy women tended to ride horses , and having buttons the opposite way stopped cold air from getting inside their shirts.
It’s unclear why this tradition remained, as men stopped feeling the need to be prepared for swordplay at all times, and the wealthy stopped riding sidesaddle and (presumably) began to dress themselves. There are a number of possibilities though, including manufacturing processes.
“In the 19th century buttons were incorporated more in everyday women’s clothing due to advances in sewing technology,” Natalie Hicks, a designer at Our Visn, told . “The difference in placement between menswear and womenswear is essentially a holdover from the 13th century that has never been corrected. Designers are creating new looks [based] on old patterns.”
It could be, though, partly to do with evading the actual fashion police.
“In the 1880s, it was fashionable for women’s clothing to look more traditionally masculine,” fashion historian Chloe Chapin told Today. “However, it was illegal in many places to be dressed like a man in public, so perhaps having a difference in buttoning confirmed that you were wearing a female dress.”
[H/T: ]