• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Reason why men’s shirt buttons are on a different side to women’s

Home> News> UK News

Published 20:59 2 Aug 2023 GMT+1

Reason why men’s shirt buttons are on a different side to women’s

The reason as to why men's shirt buttons are on a different side to women's is rooted in history.

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

Perhaps you've never noticed, but buttons on men's shirts are actually on a different side to women's - but why is that?

While some now recall a random drunken chat about it in the pub, others are now rushing to the wardrobe to see if this is actually the case.

Yep, it is.

Those recalling those drunken chats in the local are likely remembering that bizarre theory your pal came up with surrounding the matter that lasted all too long.

Advert

And let's be honest, it had no validity, did it?

The reason as to why the buttons are opposite sides has had people bewildered for years.
Pexels

So why are the buttons for the two genders on opposite sides. Well, there’s no officially confirmed reason why men’s shirts have buttons running down the right-hand side, and women’s on the left, there are a number of ideas on the matter – most of which are rooted in history.

Firstly, it’s thought that men’s buttons were on that side because their clothing traditionally held weapons.

Chloe Chapin, fashion historian and Harvard University Ph.D. candidate in American studies, previously told Today: “I think it’s important to question which time period we're talking about, since shirt and jacket buttons are a relatively new phenomenon.

Advert

“But as a general rule, many elements of men’s fashion can be traced back to the military."

Paul Keers, author of A Gentleman's Wardrobe, seems to agree, having 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.

Had you realised buttons were opposite sides before?
Pexels

Advert

However, once again speaking to Today, Melanie M. Moore, founder of women’s blouse brand Elizabeth & Clarke, gave her theory.

"Wealthy women back then did not dress themselves - their lady’s maid did," she said.

"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'.

However, it can never really be known for sure why the buttons are on opposite sides.

Featured Image Credit: Tara Moore/Getty

Topics: Fashion, News, Weird, History

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

9 hours ago
  • 9 hours ago

    Study suggests weight loss jabs like Mounjaro could stop you getting dementia and other serious health problems

    Mounjaro was recently rolled out on the NHS

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Paranormal investigator dies suddenly whilst on tour with haunted 'Annabelle' doll

    Dan Rivera's devastated family have shared a statement after his death

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Donald Trump spotted pocketing Club World Cup winners medal on stage during final

    It seems the US President decided to keep hold of one of the medals for himself

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    All the unanswered questions about the Trump administration’s Epstein files chaos

    Attention is on the Epstein files once more, after pressure is being piled onto the Trump administration to release more information

    News
  • The scary reason behind escalators having brushes on the side
  • Underwear brand explained true reason why men’s boxers have a hole in front of them
  • Real reason why Ancient Greek statues all have tiny penises
  • Reason why ‘world's most infected island' that man visited is full of human skulls and '500-year-old coffins'