Though fashion today embraces flexibility in style, one small feature still clearly separates men’s shirts from women’s—the side the buttons are on. If you closely examine a shirt’s placket, the reinforced strip where buttons meet holes, you’ll notice a distinct pattern: men’s shirts button on the right side while women’s shirts button on the left.
This curious design dates back centuries with reasons tied to social history and gender roles. One common explanation relates to wealthy women in the past who were dressed by maids—usually right-handed—so buttons on the left made it easier for helpers to fasten clothing. Men, dressing themselves more often, had buttons on the right for convenience.
Another theory links the difference to men’s clothes being designed with battle readiness in mind. Having buttons on the right allowed easier access to weapons, freeing the dominant right hand. Women’s fashion ignored this practical need, maintaining button holes on the left side.
By the late 19th century, as women’s clothing borrowed masculine styles, the differing button placement also served to clearly mark “women’s wear,” reinforcing social expectations around gender.
Some see this feature as a symbolic reminder of past gender inequality. British sexologist Havelock Ellis noted in the 1890s that buttons on women’s garments reflected assumptions about female physical weakness and need for assistance dressing.
In modern times, this “button differential” has lingered largely without much thought. It remains a subtle, often unnoticed relic of history, which online communities are just now rediscovering with surprise or amusement.
Though some brands are starting to challenge these traditional placements, the left-for-women, right-for-men rule is still commonly followed. Whether you knew about this or not, the tiny detail on your shirt acts as a quiet link to centuries of fashion—and cultural—history.
