Fashion norms are evolving rapidly these days — what was once strictly categorized as “for men” or “for women” is increasingly becoming fluid. Yet, there remains one subtle but consistent distinction between men’s and women’s clothing: a tiny detail that some historians believe reflects a centuries-old custom deeply tied to gender roles and inequality.
Next time you’re fastening your shirt, take a moment to look closely at which side the buttons are on — specifically on the placket, the fabric strip that holds the buttons and buttonholes. If you can, compare it to a shirt designed for the opposite gender. You might notice something peculiar.
Women’s garments typically have buttons on the left side, while men’s clothing features them on the right.
Although no one can pinpoint exactly where or when this button placement convention began, experts have shared a few compelling theories.
The Lady’s Maid Theory
One of the most commonly cited explanations traces back to the era when affluent women rarely dressed themselves. Wealthy ladies had maids who assisted them in getting dressed, and since the majority of people are right-handed, designers placed the buttons on the left side to make the job easier for the maid facing them.
“When buttons first appeared in the 13th century, they were considered luxury items,” explained Melanie M. Moore, founder of a womenswear label, during an interview with Today. “Women of high status didn’t dress themselves — their lady’s maids did it for them. Because most people are right-handed, left-side buttons made it easier for someone standing across from you to button your dress properly.”
In contrast, men generally dressed themselves. Placing buttons on the right-hand side made it simpler for right-handed men to button up their clothing independently.
Designed for Combat
Other fashion historians propose that the male button placement had a more tactical origin — it was rooted in warfare.
In earlier centuries, many men carried weapons like swords or pistols, and they needed to be able to access them quickly. Having buttons on the right-hand side made it easier for a right-handed man to unfasten his coat or jacket with his dominant hand while keeping the other hand free.
“Access to a weapon was often the top priority,” said fashion historian Chloe Chapin in an interview with Today. “So it made sense for men’s clothing to be designed in a way that supported this.”
Chapin, a doctoral candidate at Harvard specializing in American Studies, added, “It’s really important to ask which time period we’re referring to. But generally, a lot of elements in men’s clothing are rooted in military needs.”
Women’s fashion, on the other hand, was never designed with battlefield readiness in mind. Thus, the left-sided button design stuck around.
A Nod to Masculinity
By the 1880s, women’s clothing started to adopt more masculine styles, Chapin added. This sparked another theory.
“There was a trend where women’s clothing began to mimic traditional menswear,” she said. “However, in many areas, it was actually illegal for women to wear men’s clothes in public. So perhaps having the buttons on the opposite side served as a subtle indicator that a garment was designed for women, despite its masculine appearance.”
The Gender Inequality Argument
In 1894, British physician and sexologist Havelock Ellis explored the button placement difference in his book Man and Woman: A Study of Secondary and Tertiary Sexual Characters. According to Ellis, the button orientation was a physical manifestation of how women were perceived as the weaker sex.
He claimed that women were believed to have less dexterity and lacked the “speed and precision” that men had when dressing themselves — reinforcing the idea that women required help, while men were self-sufficient.
The ‘Button Differential’
This subtle difference in button placement — what The Atlantic referred to as the “button differential” — has quietly existed for generations, often going unnoticed.
According to the publication, this design quirk “is a remnant of an outdated practice that we’ve carried into modern times without much thought.”
And many people are only now realizing it.
One Reddit user confessed, “I was today years old when I found out that women’s shirts have buttons on the left side!” Another added, “I just learned that men’s and women’s shirts button on opposite sides. What the hell!”
Plenty of online commenters chimed in with their thoughts about how this subtle but telling fashion tradition continues to echo outdated beliefs.
One person tweeted, “Ah yes, the great gender divide — because apparently, centuries ago, women needed help dressing themselves, while men were supposed to be independent. And now, we’re still buttoning up these old traditions.”
Another Redditor noted, “Zippers too, usually!” — pointing out that this design division can extend beyond buttons.
Some clothing brands are beginning to challenge these gender-based style differences. Still, the majority of the fashion industry adheres to the age-old rule: buttons on the left for women, and on the right for men.
Did you know about this button-side difference? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this surprising revelation. Share this story with your friends — maybe they’ve never noticed it either!