City Flower Girl Shopping

Why do mens and ladies clothes button up on opposite sides?

Public Comments

1. i've always wondered the same thing! but have no idea sorry lol
2. To differentiate?
3. Bbecause most left handers are women. All men are right handed.
4. dnt know that is a good Q i would like to know that to
5. !its easier to differentiate!!!
6. so we know which are ladies & which are mens clothes lol
7. I think this dates back to historic times, when women were dressed by servants. Thus men buttoned their own clothes up, but women had their clothes buttoned up by someone else, so the button layout was reversed so the (usually right-handed) person buttoning up would do so in the same way as they buttoned their own clothes.
8. I agree with Adi - sounds about right
9. In the 17th century it was the custom for men to dress themselves, and for servants to dress the women, it was easier for servants to do the buttons up on the left of their mistress. Where men dressing themselves found it easier to button on the right.
10. i havent ever noticed but i have no idea sorry
11. In the old days when ladies had servants, they had a woman who would help them dress. Since this other woman was facing the on she was buttoning into her corsets or other such things, the buttons were placed for a right handed (Since only those corrupted by the devil were lefthanded) person. when woman started to do these things for themselves, they just never were reversed for the new way of doing things.