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From: sasaki@harvard.ARPA (Marty Sasaki)
Newsgroups: net.bio,net.women
Subject: Re: Left vs right brains
Message-ID: <44@harvard.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 16-Apr-85 12:52:09 EST
Article-I.D.: harvard.44
Posted: Tue Apr 16 12:52:09 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 23:59:53 EST
References: <1649@decwrl.UUCP> <1649@ittvax.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Harvard Science Center
Lines: 29
Xref: watmath net.bio:179 net.women:4796

> Subject: Re: Shirt buttons
> Newsgroups: net.women
> References: <1649@decwrl.UUCP>
> 
> > This has been bugging me lately...
> > 
> > Does anyone know why (historically and currently) women's shirts button
> > right over left and men's button left over right (or is it vice versa)?
> > Why make the thing differently depending on who is supposed to wear it?
> > 
> > Elizabeth Clayton
> > ...decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-satan!clayton
> **********************************************************
> 
> A possible explanation comes from the biology of the brain. 

The reason is warfare. Originally shirts and coats for both men and women
were buttoned the way women's shirts and coats are today. Napolean changed
that since it was difficult to quickly unbutton a coat and draw a sword. By
changing the way the coat was buttoned Napolean's men would be more quickly
able to fight.

Remember that most people are right handed (cultural bias).
-- 
----------------
  Marty Sasaki				net:   sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp}
  Havard University Science Center	phone: 617-495-1270
  One Oxford Street
  Cambridge, MA 02138