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From: ed@mtxinu.UUCP (Ed Gould)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Shirt buttons
Message-ID: <341@mtxinu.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 14-Apr-85 02:02:28 EST
Article-I.D.: mtxinu.341
Posted: Sun Apr 14 02:02:28 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 03:05:47 EST
References: <1649@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: mt Xinu, Berkeley, CA
Lines: 18

> 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)?
> 
> Elizabeth Clayton

The only explanation I've ever heard is this:  At one time, all clothing
was made the way women's clothing is now - with the right side on top.
When swords became the common fighting weapon, men's clothing changed
so that the right-handed fighter (and of course only men did the fighting)
could draw sword with the right hand and unbotton the coat with the left
simultaneously.

Somehow this doesn't really seem an adequate explanation, but it's the
only one I've ever heard offered that had even a little plausability.

-- 
Ed Gould		    mt Xinu, 739 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA  94710  USA
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