December 06, 2011

Why Are Men's Buttons Opposite Women's Buttons In Clothing?

It's an age-old question! From our fashion history background, the default answer was always this:

Men dressed themselves, and conventionally they buttoned their clothes left-over-right, meaning the buttonhole side of the fabric lapped over from the wearer's left. But women had servants to help them dress, and because the servant was facing the wearer, they needed an opposite closure to match their opposite perspective.

Claudette Colbert dressing herself quite easily in Clark Gable's pajamas, circa 1934.

This doesn't quite hold up when you realize men had butlers, but maybe those man-servants never attended a gentleman in his dressing quarters. Also, when I use my own hands to button or unbutton a garment as a servant would (whether the item is men's or ladies'), I don't feel a preference either way. But maybe that's just me. And this custom doesn't account for left-handedness, but in the days of its origin, I doubt many people were accounting for that.

Also, consider the fact that, at various points in history, women wearing obvious closures of any kind were considered to have looser morals, because that line of buttons showed just how to gain access to what was underneath. Why make it easier to undo a blushing beauty's buttons by placing them in a convenient way for her paramour, especially in times puritanical?

I checked through my references here at Vintage Vixen for any notes about buttons, but I couldn't find any. I have several books on male & female differences in fashion, but they omit this fundamental difference, which I thought was interesting. It also seems to indicate that this was a custom created out of a functional need, not a sexual differentiation.

So I looked around online. There are many ideas about this historical conundrum, and in addition to the theory above, here they are in summary:

  • Men needed their coats to close with opening toward the wearer's right, because they pulled their sword from their left hip. If the coat opened to the left, the butt of the sword could get caught in this opening.
  • Women tended to carry a child on their left hip, and they nursed by opening & closing their blouses with their right hand, so they needed an opening to match.
  • People's clothing was once so similar in style (not sure which era they're describing here) that the differences in buttons was the primary indicator of gender.
  • The difference was due to some religious or moral reason, possibly to hide/show more skin depending on the viewer's perspective.
  • Buttons in the back of a ladies' garment were easier to do/undo by oneself as well as a servant if placed a certain way.

The ideas keep coming. Like the chicken and the egg, no one really knows which came first. Or why.

Personally I'm still wondering - do you have a preference if you're buttoning up someone else's shirt? Or do you think the servant answer is simply a reason given to placate the curious?

References:
Photo: The Language of Clothes | Yahoo | Life's Little Mysteries | Fun Trivia | Snopes

69 comments:


  1. Good artcile, but it would be better if in future you can share more about this subject. Keep posting.

    Buy Maison Margiela

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great things you’ve always shared with us. Just keep writing this kind of posts.The time which was wasted in traveling for tuition now it can be used for studies.Thanks Savile Row Suits

    ReplyDelete
  3. On Pictame2, we created 'Trending Now' and 'Hot Users' pages and also related users suggestions for you to discover the most exciting users on Instagram.

    ReplyDelete
  4. GMO foods are a big factor in the growing world wide disease epidemic. Frankly, our food is killing us. This article will show you how to eliminate GMO foods from your diet. Diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer, and inflammation would not be so rampant if we were eating better. Magic mushrooms for sale

    ReplyDelete
  5. The process leading up to a transaction online is possibly the most critical to a shopping cart's success. If the buying process causes frustration, confusion or insecurity, the user is likely to abandon the shopping cart, never to return again. 3D MACHINE

    ReplyDelete
  6. Most people find it difficult living a day without shopping; they always have one or two things to buy. The case here is not how often you go shopping but how smart you are at shopping! Do you shop for a purpose? Or is it an impulse spending thing which you find hard controlling? What ever reason you may have, you need to learn how to cut cost on your shopping in order to save yourself from stress and impulse spending. profumatori bastoncino

    ReplyDelete
  7. Are you are new to online shopping? Do you want to know the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping? If the answers to these questions are yes, read further to get more information on this new form of shopping, which is also called internet-based shopping. millefiori profumatori

    ReplyDelete
  8. To most people, shopping is an everyday activity. Most people do their shopping on daily basis. When going out for shopping, you need to have a bag to carry your shopping items. For a long time now, people have used plastic bags offered by stores as shopping bags. Although some of these plastic bags served the same purpose as shopping bags, they had a number of notable drawbacks. Dutch defense

    ReplyDelete
  9. After study several of the blog articles for your internet site now, and i also genuinely such as your strategy for blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark internet site list and are checking back soon. Pls take a look at my web page in addition and tell me what you believe. Focused on Dutch government

    ReplyDelete
  10. Online shopping is gaining momentum over offline shopping. As a matter of fact, it enables the customers to compare prices and saves lot of time on commuting or waiting in lines. computer stores near me

    ReplyDelete
  11. Just thought I should leave a short comment saying thank you for your hard work and effort putting all this information together. Some of us appreciate it. concealed handgun license texas classes

    ReplyDelete
  12. Outstanding post, you have pointed out some excellent points , I too believe this s a very fantastic website. สล็อต

    ReplyDelete
  13. It’s really a great and helpful piece of info. I am satisfied that you simply shared this useful information with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing. สล็อตฟรี

    ReplyDelete
  14. I’d have to consult with you here. Which isn’t some thing Which i do! I love to reading an article that may get people to believe. Also, many thanks for allowing me to comment! สล็อตออนไลน์

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hello there I am so glad I found your blog page, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Bing for something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a marvelous post and a all round entertaining blog (I also love the theme/design), I donít have time to browse it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the awesome job. link building services usa

    ReplyDelete
  16. The internet finally fulfilled one of its great promises: People are making money by selling products on the ecommerce websites. If you're new to ecommerce, or selling products and services on the internet, read on. This article explains how to choose an ecommerce shopping cart solution for your online business. ورد طايفي

    ReplyDelete
  17. Online shopping is gaining momentum over offline shopping. As a matter of fact, it enables the customers to compare prices and saves lot of time on commuting or waiting in lines. Sofa entsorgen Berlin

    ReplyDelete
  18. The internet finally fulfilled one of its great promises: People are making money by selling products on the ecommerce websites. If you're new to ecommerce, or selling products and services on the internet, read on. This article explains how to choose an ecommerce shopping cart solution for your online business. 德国亚超

    ReplyDelete
  19. The process leading up to a transaction online is possibly the most critical to a shopping cart's success. If the buying process causes frustration, confusion or insecurity, the user is likely to abandon the shopping cart, never to return again. 小怪兽华人亚超

    ReplyDelete
  20. The process leading up to a transaction online is possibly the most critical to a shopping cart's success. If the buying process causes frustration, confusion or insecurity, the user is likely to abandon the shopping cart, never to return again. cheap engagement rings

    ReplyDelete
  21. Fertilizante líquido NPK de ácido fúlvico de aminoácidos de extracto de algas orgánicas solubles 100% de alta pureza a precio de fábrica fertilizante líquido orgánico de extracto de algas marinas

    ReplyDelete
  22. Fertilizante líquido NPK de ácido fúlvico de aminoácidos de extracto de algas orgánicas solubles 100% de alta pureza a precio de fábrica Fabricantes de extractos de algas marinas

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hello. Neat post. There is an issue with your site in firefox, and you may want to test this… The browser is the market chief and a big part of other people will miss your wonderful writing because of this problem. Global Clothing Industries

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh my goodness! an amazing article dude. Thank you However I am experiencing issue with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting identical rss problem? Anyone who knows kindly respond. Thnkx Used Textiles Recycling

    ReplyDelete
  25. so… facebook recommended me the pages “food” and “eating” ,,, yeah I’m obese|HasmAttack| 토토커뮤니티

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks for every other instructive web site. The position else may just I get that kind of data penned in these a perfect signifies? I have a venture that I’m just now working on, and I happen to be to the watch out for these information and facts.สล็อตออนไลน์

    ReplyDelete
  27. Some truly superb Focus on behalf in the operator of this Online web site , completely terrific content .สล็อต 999

    ReplyDelete
  28. Awesome publish mate, keep up The good get the job done, just shared this with my friendzสล็อตวอเลท

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thanks for a fascinating weblog. What else may I get that kind of information written in this sort of an excellent solution? I've an enterprise that I am just now functioning on, And that i are on the lookout for this sort of info.สล็อตแตกง่าย

    ReplyDelete
  30. Many thanks my homepage a lot of for sharing this amazing information! I am hunting forward to view much more postsby you!บา คา ร่า วอ เลท

    ReplyDelete
  31. I can’t think focusing extended ample to investigate; significantly less generate this type of report. You’ve outdone on your own using this type of substance indisputably. It is amongst the best contents.บา คา ร่า วอ เลท

    ReplyDelete
  32. Pretty good article. I have just stumbled upon your site and relished reading your blog posts very much. I'm trying to find new posts to acquire extra important information. Large many thanks for your practical data.สล็อตเว็บใหญ่

    ReplyDelete
  33. I wished to thank you for this excellent examine!! I definitely beloved each and every minimal bit of it. I have you bookmarked your web site to check out the new stuff you put up.บา คา ร่า วอ เลท

    ReplyDelete
  34. You delivered these a formidable piece to go through, supplying each individual subject matter enlightenment for us to achieve information and facts. Thanks for sharing these information with us resulting from which my a number of ideas are cleared.สล็อต ฝาก-ถอน true wallet ไม่มี บัญชีธนาคาร

    ReplyDelete
  35. Good job for publishing such a valuable web site. Your Net log isn’t only valuable however it is Also definitely creative also.บาคาร่าวอเลท

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wow, great article. I might like to write down such as this way too - having time and serious labor to generate an awesome article... but I put issues off a lot of and under no circumstances appear to start. Thanks however.สล็อตทรูวอเลท

    ReplyDelete
  37. Extremely informative write-up! You will find there's ton of information in this article which will help any enterprise start with A prosperous social networking campaign.สล็อตแตกง่าย

    ReplyDelete
  38. Thanks for finding the time to discuss this, I really feel strongly over it and enjoy Understanding more on this matter. If possible, when you obtain expertise, would you head updating your website with extra facts? It is extremely handy for me.สล็อตxo

    ReplyDelete
  39. Attractive, article. I just stumbled on your weblog and wanted to state that I have liked browsing your blog site posts. After all, I will surely subscribe to your feed, and I hope you might generate once more quickly!เว็บสล็อต

    ReplyDelete
  40. Constructive site, wherever did u come up with the knowledge on this putting up?I've browse some of the articles on your website now, and I really like your type. Thanks 1,000,000 and you should sustain the efficient function.เว็บสล็อตเว็บตรง

    ReplyDelete
  41. Excellent survey, I'm confident you happen to be getting a terrific response.เว็บตรงสล็อต

    ReplyDelete
  42. Good job for publishing such a valuable web site. Your Net log isn’t only valuable however it is Also definitely creative also.เว็บ ตรง

    ReplyDelete
  43. Pleasant submit! This is a really wonderful weblog which i will definitively return to a lot more occasions this calendar year! Thanks for instructive submit.เกมสล็อต

    ReplyDelete
  44. Pleasant submit! This is a really wonderful weblog which i will definitively return to a lot more occasions this calendar year! Thanks for instructive submit.สล็อต เว็บ ตรง

    ReplyDelete
  45. Beautiful, free images and photos that you can download and use for any project. Better than any royalty free or stock photos. website

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thanks for fantastic information I was looking for this information for my mission.
    play game for relax and win get money
    PG SLOT

    ReplyDelete
  47. We are a bunсh of volunteerѕ and starting a bгand new schemе in ouг community.성주출장샵
    예천출장샵
    봉화출장샵
    울진출장샵
    울릉출장샵
    청송출장샵
    제주출장샵
    서귀포출장샵

    Youг ωebsitе pгovidеd us with valuable information to
    worκ on. You have pеrformed an impгessive ρrocesѕ
    and our ωhole grouρ will probably be grateful tο you.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Really enjoyed this post.Thanks Again. Want more. youtube reseller panel

    ReplyDelete
  49. Your desire, excitement, and aspiration are heard, go 1depositcasinouk . Try your luck and share your emotions. Don't forget who risks wins.

    ReplyDelete
  50. i would love to munch so many italian foods, italian foods are the best in my opinion and they are very tasty., sahilanswers

    ReplyDelete
  51. Im thankful for the article post. Awesome. Axes: viking axe

    ReplyDelete
  52. Wonderful site. I hope you write more informative articles, as i will check back often to read your posts. game space apk for all devices

    ReplyDelete
  53. Cheapest SMM PanelsI am always searching online for storys that can accommodate me.crypto prices There is obviously a multiple to understand about this.royalty free images I feel you made few salubrious points in Attributes moreover. Detain busy, awesome career!buy reddit upvotes

    ReplyDelete
  54. Increase your safety level exponentially with our new Higher Stability range of step platform and extension ladders - Branach Australia, more check this extension ladders Melbourne

    ReplyDelete
  55. I am perpetually thought about this, thankyou for posting . Keto Excel Gummies

    ReplyDelete
  56. Enjoyed looking through this, very good stuff, regards . Algarve Keto Gummies

    ReplyDelete
  57. The majority of us don’t know how to start. Making it basic, you might be capability to ask all people nearest thing to you personally is most likely the best method to look for these types of condos in simply the subject associated with time and place. Quietum Plus

    ReplyDelete
  58. How a good deal of an big content material, preserve on penning great other Liba Weight Loss

    ReplyDelete
  59. It’s truly a awesome and beneficial piece of data. I’m glad which you just shared this useful information with us. Please stay us knowledgeable like this. Thank you for sharing. Red Boost

    ReplyDelete
  60. Every female likes to wear the ones pretty however high-priced diamond earrings, i would like to provide my girlfriend a diamond ring” Glucotrust

    ReplyDelete
  61. As soon as I detected this website I went on reddit to percentage a number of the love with them. Royal Keto Gummies

    ReplyDelete
  62. Very fine publish. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to mention that I even have honestly loved browsing around your weblog posts. After all I may be subscribing in your rss feed and I desire you write again quickly! Active Keto Gummies

    ReplyDelete
  63. Youre so cool! I dont assume Ive examine some thing like this earlier than. So first-rate to locate any person with a few genuine thoughts in this subject. Realy thank you for starting this up. This website is some thing that’s wished at the internet, any individual with rather originality. Useful process for bringing one component new to the internet! Red Boost

    ReplyDelete
  64. I honestly loved this post. I have even bookmarked it to help your pages enhance in the search engines like google. Keep up the coolest paintings! Choice CBD Gummies

    ReplyDelete
  65. What would most people do without the exquisite recommendations you communicate about on this weblog? Who else has the fortitude to address critical subjects with regard to common site visitors like me? I certainly and my girlfriends are very lucky to have your internet site a few of the ones we typically visit. Hopefully you understand how appreciably we adore your efforts! Best needs via us all. Red Boost

    ReplyDelete
  66. the nice air purifiers are typically those the usage of hepa filters but they're very very steeply-priced, Prostadine

    ReplyDelete
  67. Hello! I just now would like to supply a enormous thumbs up for any fantastic information you’ve got here within this post. I am coming back to your blog site for more soon. Europe sex doll

    ReplyDelete
  68. Massage community Jukma close friend massage company Killing massage GO Healthy massage Swedish massage 1 person shop Gunma aromatherapy massage Couple date massage Thailand Thai massage Chinese court massage Business trip massage Home care service Information sharing site 스웨디시마사지

    ReplyDelete