why buttons on men and women shirts are on opposite side?
( By : Aditya singh chouhan )
( By : Aditya singh chouhan )
As with so many things in history, we can’t know with 100% accuracy why men’s and women’s clothes button up the opposite way.
As such, it became customary to make clothes for women that were slightly easier for other people to button up, specifically right handed people. Men's clothes were left with the button on the right, as has been common throughout the history of buttoning, because most men tended to dress themselves.
The most widely touted theory by far is that the practise of reversing buttons on men’s and women’s clothing stems back to the time of elaborate dress of gentlemen and ladies when upper-class women, particularly during the Victorian era, wore so many layers that it was necessary for them to be dressed by a servant or maid. As such, it became customary to make clothes for women that were slightly easier for other people to button up, specifically right handed people. Men’s clothes were left with the button on the right, as has been common throughout the history of buttoning, because most men tended to dress themselves.
The most widely touted theory by far is that the practise of reversing buttons on men’s and women’s clothing stems back to the time of elaborate dress of gentlemen and ladies when upper-class women, particularly during the Victorian era, wore so many layers that it was necessary for them to be dressed by a servant or maid. As such, it became customary to make clothes for women that were slightly easier for other people to button up, specifically right handed people. Men’s clothes were left with the button on the right, as has been common throughout the history of buttoning, because most men tended to dress themselves.
The Curious Case of Men and Women's Buttons
On shirts, they're on the left for the ladies and on the right for the gents. That's because of horses, babies, and Napoleon.
The next time you button your own shirt, look down and see where the buttons fall on the placket (that’s the strip of fabric that reinforces where the button meets the buttonhole). Then grab one from someone of the opposite gender. Notice anything different? Women’s buttons are on the left side, while men’s are on the right.
The reason is historical, says Melanie M. Moore, founder of women’s blouse brand Elizabeth & Clarke. “When buttons were invented in the 13th century they were, like most new technology, very expensive,” she says. “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.”
