We finally know why men’s and women’s shirts are not buttoned on the same side

It’s never too late to learn new things! Whether you’re a fashion expert or not, have you ever noticed that the buttons on men’s shirts aren’t on the same side as the buttons on women’s shirts? And yet this is indeed the case! Have you ever found yourself in the situation where your fingers had difficulty buttoning your shirt without knowing that it was originally made for the opposite sex? But why aren’t the buttons on women’s and men’s shirts located on the same side?

This is a question that many specialists have tried to answer. But what hides this disparity in clothing which also exists in other everyday clothing such as the flies of our jeans. While many theories exist to explain this difference, the most likely remains that of the differentiation that was made between men and women in the 17th century when buttons on clothing appeared.

No official reason to explain this difference

Although the orientation of the buttons has been the same for centuries, there is no official documented reason for this differentiation. This does not mean that experts in history and clothing do not have their own answer. Indeed, when buttons and buttonholes appeared on clothing in the 17th century, only wealthy people could obtain them. The button was therefore indirectly linked to the social status of the person wearing it: “wearing gold, silver and ivory buttons was an indication of wealth and rank», Explains one of the experts.

At the same time, women belonging to the highest social classes were often assisted by servants who helped them dress. What Scott Liebenberg, PDF of Tapered Menswear, confirms: “Ladies often had maids to help them dress, so having the buttons on the left made it easier for a right-handed helper“. This was not the case for men who dressed alone, and who therefore needed the buttons to be placed on the right. If today this is no longer the case and things have changed a lot, the tradition has remained firmly anchored. A past that we find in the present without anyone having finally corrected it.

These other theories around the button

For other experts, this difference would never have been eliminated in order to facilitate design and assembly in manufacturing lines. With just one look, noting which side the buttons are on, factory workers are able to tell whether it is men’s or women’s clothing: “I’m sure there are other ways to tell the difference [vêtements pour hommes et pour femmes]but when the shirt placket is attached separately to the garment, it may be easier for the assembly line to understand what type of shirt it is“, explains the CEO before continuing: “It could be as simple as streamlining operations to the present day.»

For others, it is just due to the practical side for the woman. Indeed, according to certain magazines, the buttons on the left in women make breastfeeding easier, for example: “women can carry their baby with their left arm and use their right hand to unbutton their shirt when they had to feed their child“. Whatever the reason, the position of the buttons on a shirt does not seem to influence the choice of clothing today: “I don’t think most people know that button direction is an indicator of gender clothing», Reveals the specialist.

The people? A whole world! Passionate about media, networks, series, films, and investigative investigations of all kinds, Jessica naturally turned to writing and takes…