/tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/69/f1/69f1bb96-d5e3-4257-bfa6-017336746314/42-25609928.jpg "Here’s Why Men’s and Women’s Clothes Button on Opposite Sides (1)")
Are the buttons on your shirt on the left side or on the right? There’s actually a pretty easy answer: if you wear women’s clothing, the buttons are on the left side of the shirt. However, if you wear men’s shirts, the buttons line up on the right side. This would make sense if all women were left-handed and all men were right-handed, but because the majority of all people are right-handed, that’s clearly not the reason. So what gives?
Like manyold customs, no one’s really sure how the button-side switcheroo came to dominate fashion design. But according one of the more popular theories, it might have to do with how middle- and upper-class European women used to dress, Caitlin Schneider writes for Mental Floss.
During historical periods like the Renaissance and the Victorian Era, women’s clothing was often much more complicated and elaborate than men’s - thinkpetticoats, corsets and bustles. But while rich men often dressed themselves, their female family members most likely had servants to help them put on their clothes, both out of luxury and necessity. To make it easier for servants to button up their employer’s dresses right, clothiers might have started sewing buttons on the opposite side. Eventually, as clothing became more and more mass-produced, women’s clothes kept being made with the buttons of the left, and thedesign became standard, Benjamin Radford wrote for Live Science in 2010.
That’s one explanation for why women’s clothes button on the left -but why would men’s clothes alwaysbutton on the right? That particular tradition might have roots in how men once dressed for war, as Megan Garber writes for The Atlantic. Just as wealthy women needed servants to help them get dressed, men’s clothing might have taken cues from military uniforms.
According to the authors of “The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art”:
To insure that an enemy's lance point would not slip between the plates, they overlapped from left to right, since it was standard fighting practice that the left side, protected by the shield, was turned toward the enemy. Thus, men's jackets button left to right even to the present day.
Because male soldiers also often drew their weapons with their right hand, building their clothes with the buttons on the right side would have made it a lot easier to adjust and unbutton with their free left hand, Garber writes. But these are far from the only theories that seekto answer this question. Others include the fact thatmany women breastfeed while holding their baby in their left arm, or thatNapoleonmass-producedclothing that wasintentionally difficult for women to put on. Historians may never know exactly how women’s buttons ended up on the left, but regardless of its originthis design quirk is now just anothersartorial custom.
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As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of historical fashion, let me shed light on the intriguing concept discussed in the article about the placement of buttons on clothing. My expertise in historical clothing and fashion evolution allows me to provide a comprehensive exploration of the theories mentioned in the article.
The article delves into the unique placement of buttons on men's and women's shirts, unraveling the historical roots behind this sartorial custom. The claim that women's buttons are on the left side, while men's buttons align on the right, is a well-documented phenomenon with various theories attempting to explain its origin.
One prevalent theory, mentioned by Caitlin Schneider in Mental Floss, suggests that the button-side switcheroo in women's clothing might be attributed to the historical complexity and elaboration of women's attire during periods like the Renaissance and the Victorian Era. Wealthy women, who often wore intricate garments such as petticoats and corsets, relied on servants for dressing assistance. To facilitate the task for servants, clothiers may have started sewing buttons on the left side. As mass production became the norm, this design choice persisted, becoming a standard feature in women's clothing.
On the flip side, the article also explores the reasoning behind men's clothing having buttons on the right side. According to Megan Garber in The Atlantic, this tradition may have military origins, particularly in how men dressed for war. Military uniforms, designed to protect against enemy lance points, often had overlapping plates from left to right. This design choice ensured that the left side, shielded during combat, faced the enemy. Moreover, the practicality of men drawing their weapons with the right hand led to the placement of buttons on the right side, making it easier for soldiers to adjust and unbutton with their free left hand.
The article intriguingly mentions additional theories, such as the idea that women breastfeed while holding their baby in their left arm or Napoleon intentionally making women's clothing difficult to put on. While the exact origin remains elusive, the article concludes that regardless of its roots, this unique design quirk has become a longstanding sartorial tradition.
In summary, the placement of buttons on men's and women's clothing reflects a fascinating intersection of historical, societal, and practical considerations. The theories presented in the article highlight the complexity of fashion evolution, weaving together threads of luxury, military tradition, and mass production into the fabric of this enduring custom.
