Have you ever purchased a shirt and been told the buttons are “on the wrong side” for it to be a women’s shirt? This happened to me recently and got me into thinking why this is and to doing a bit of research. Upon searching, I found a survey from T.M. Lewin whose research has highlighted that, although many people in the UK button a shirt every day, 20% of the public are unaware that women and men’s shirts button up on different sides. Furthermore, 11% say they’ve never even thought about it.
When it comes to the reasons why men and women’s shirts button up on different sides, there are a variety of interesting theories out there. In the olden days, clothing for men often included weaponry, so when guns were hidden in the shirt it was easier to access them with the dominant hand.
Another theory says that, in the past, many upper class women did not dress themselves, and servants helped their ladies get in and out of buttoned dresses. That’s why buttons on ladies garments are placed on the left hand side. Women who rode horses also sat side-saddle, so having their buttons on the left helped to reduce the breeze flowing under their clothes as they rode.
Tim Patten, spokesperson for T.M. Lewin, says: “It’s a fact that we often take it for granted that our clothes are made in a certain way, but there’s always a reason for it.
“Learning the interesting facts and theories surrounding the way our clothes button up reminds us that there is method behind the madness. T.M Lewin was one of the first fashion houses to design button up shirts, and our fashion designers are experts in creating new trends whilst remembering the 120 years of T.M. Lewin history.”
Here is an info graphic which further highlights the research…
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