People only just realising why men and women's shirts are buttoned on different sides

Men and women's wardrobes are completely different ball games, which is why for the most part, we stay well away from each other's clothing.

Due to the differences in tailoring and style, borrowing your man's latest buy for brunch with the girls isn't usually doable - although if you can somehow swap your clobber with your other half, go for it.

Or you could try and raid your dad's wardrobe if you're really struggling, just like Tilly Ramsay did with her dad Gordon:

But if you're a woman who has had to grab the nearest thing to protect your modesty before, you might have slipped on a bloke's shirt once or twice in your time.

After assessing how long the sleeves are and identifying the remnants of what aftershave remains on the collar, you might have realised that the buttons are on a different side to your usual blouses.

But who on earth came up with this bizarre decision about opposite genders fastening up their shirts on the opposite side?

Well, buckle up - because you're about to find out. Sort of.

The thing is, there isn't an officially confirmed and rubber stamped reason behind why the buttons are positioned on the right side for a man and the left side for a woman.

But, as always, there is plenty of theories on it - most of which are rooted in history.

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Back in the day, most fellas used to run around carrying a lot of weapons - swords, crossbows, daggers, axes, you name it - and a lot of them used to stash these in their clothing.

As these were typically clutched in the right hand when it was time to do battle, while a shield was in the left, having buttons on the same side as their artillery was apparently considered an advantage.

Chloe Chapin, fashion historian and Harvard University PhD candidate in American studies, previously told Today that 'many elements of men's fashion can be traced back to the military'.

Explaining the theory further, Paul Keers, the author of A Gentleman's Wardrobe, described how the placement of the fasteners could impact a man during a fight to the death.

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He told The Guardian: "A gentleman's sword was always worn on the left side, so that it could be drawn with the right hand.

"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."

But while this could be the reason why men’s buttons tend to sit on the right, it doesn’t necessarily explain why women’s buttons are on the opposite side - especially when the majority of people are right-handed.

Luckily, the founder of women's blouse brand Elizabeth & Clarke reckons she has a decent idea about the reason for it.

Speaking to Today, Melanie M. Moore, said: "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.”

Other possible reasons include, as the Smithsonian Magazine notes, the fact that some people believe many women breastfeed while holding their baby in their left arm, or that Napoleon 'mass-produced clothing that was intentionally difficult for women to put on'.

Topics: Fashion, History, Style, Weird

Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@livburke_