I have to think that this question has been asked before somewhere but I never read the answer. Why do women's blouses and men's shirts button on different sides?

Friar Tuck

Men do their own shirts up so buttoins suit the predominant righthander. Women were dressed by others so the buttons would have to be reversed to achieve the same thing Jun 06 02, 3:04 PM

RickF

Years ago, men normally carried their sword in their right hand, so did up their clothes with the left. Women carried their child on the left hip, so buttoned up with their free right hand. Jun 07 02, 5:56 AM

3 planks

I think Friar Tuck has it the wrong way round - men had their shirts buttoned by a gentleman's valet who was (usually) right-handed whereas women had to button their own blouses during which process the right hand does the tricky bit of getting the button through the hole while the left hand just steadies the left hand side of the blouse. Jun 07 02, 2:18 PM

Spyder

Actually the Friar is correct. Way before men had a valet the women were dressed by another woman, ranging from corsets that lace in the back, to the more recent shirt or blouse. When the first large garment factories were starting to form they decided to continue the button arrangement due to the fact that their wife and daughters being of money had servants and were still being helped. Jan 24 03, 5:51 PM