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From: smp@gitpyr.UUCP (Scott M Pfeffer)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Shirt buttons
Message-ID: <345@gitpyr.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Apr-85 09:55:53 EST
Article-I.D.: gitpyr.345
Posted: Wed Apr 24 09:55:53 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 25-Apr-85 04:32:37 EST
References: <1649@decwrl.UUCP> <972@vax1.fluke.UUCP>
Reply-To: smp@gitpyr.UUCP (Scott M Pfeffer)
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 26


    Why indeed are the buttons different?  I think it may have to do with
the old days when "union" was the big word.  These were the times when a 
lot of women were going to work during the war time and after to support
themselves.  A lot of shop owners were taking advantage of this.  Women
would work 18 hour days at home and make piddling wages.  Specifically in
the field of Ladies' Garments (naturally, since everyone had a sewing machine
and thread at home).
    Well, to make a long story short, laws began being passed to prevent such
goings on.  Certain restrictions dealing only with the Ladies' Garments (not
mens) were passed.  For instance, no 18 hour work days, minimum salary require-
ments.  As a result ladies' garments rose in price.  
    Ah, so now it is more profitable to sell mens clothing.  Companies had
to make sure that their garments were unmistakeably classified as mens clothing
Because mens garment workers had no restrictions or other such laws passed to
protect the innocent.  You might have thought that the lawmakers would make
laws in general to protect all garment workers, but mens garments were just
not causing a problem.
   In any case, you guessed it, men's clothing could be distinguished from
womens (shirts anyway) by switching the buttons around.  
 
   
         Scott Pfeffer
         {agkua,hplabs}!gatech!gitpyr!smp
 
"But honey, I can't help it if my clothing costs more than yours"