Decorative buttons first appeared around 2000 BC, but they weren’t commonly used as fasteners until the sixteenth century.
Because most men are right-handed and generally dressed themselves, they found it easier to fasten their buttons from right to left.
However, wealthy women were dressed by servants, who found it easier to fasten their mistresses’ clothes if the buttons were on her left.
The practice eventually became convention and has never changed, even today.
Related Posts
-
Why Are Buttons Sewn on the Left Side of Women’s Clothing and on the Right Side of Men’s?
Buttons have been used since ancient times to fasten or decorate clothing. Archeologists have unearthed buttons dating back to times earlier than written history. But in the 1200s, when fitted clothes took the…
-
Why Do Men Have Buttons on Their Jacket Sleeves?
The buttons on the sleeves of men's jackets serve no real purpose today. But there are many stories explaining how they came to be there. One story involves Frederick the Great, who was…
-
Do Dogs have Belly Buttons, Where is it Located, and What Does it Look Like?
Dogs, like all mammals, have belly buttons. After giving birth, the mother breaks the umbilical cord by chewing it, and then eats the placenta. The placenta is believed to give her nutrients and…
-
What Does “Putting English On It” When Spinning a Ball Mean and Where Did the Expression Come From?
The expression "putting English" on a ball is used in tennis, golf, soccer, and baseball and means you've spun and curved the ball to overcome a problem. The expression comes from English snooker,…
-
Where Did the Tradition of Putting Lights On Christmas Trees Come From and Who Started the Custom?
In the sixteenth century, Germans began decorating fir trees with ribbons, flowers, apples, and colored paper. Inspired by the reflection of stars off branches in the forest, Martin Luther placed lit candles on…
-
What does the phrase “putting on the dog” mean and Where does it come from?
The phrase "putting on the dog" means: Making pretensions of grandeur; assuming airs. This was American college slang of the 1860's. Whether or not it originated at Yale, it was so credited by…
