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You might never give it a second thought, but men's shirts and jeans have buttons on the right, while women's buttons are on the left
And no, it's not random and it's not because of style.
There's actually history and a few logical theories behind it.
Back in the day, wealthy women often had maids to help them get dressed
Since most people are right-handed, it was easier for a maid facing her mistress to button a garment if the buttons were on the woman's left side.
Over time, that setup became the standard for women's clothing.
This theory makes sense, but it mostly applied to upper-class women. Everyday women who dressed themselves wouldn't have needed this at all.
Another theory is that men's clothing was heavily influenced by the military
Paul Keers, author of A Gentleman's Wardrobe, explained to The Guardian that right-handed men carried their swords on their left side, so having a jacket that buttoned left over right kept the handle from getting caught when they drew their weapon.
It became a practical design that eventually stuck around, long after men stopped carrying swords.
When clothing started being mass-produced in the 19th century, factories needed a standard way to make shirts
They chose men's buttons on the right and women's on the left.
Once that became the industry norm, it never changed.
So, what's the real reason?
It's likely a mix of things.
Right-handed maids dressing women. Military practicality influencing men's clothes. And later, factory standardisation locking those patterns in place.
No matter how it started, the tradition has stuck around for centuries.
But maybe it's time to rethink it. After all, who says buttons have to follow centuries-old rules? Button whichever side feels right for you.
