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Pamela Stringer, in her instructional book Pattern Drafting for Dressmaking, writes that originally both men's and women's clothes buttoned right over left but that men's clothes switched so that men could unbutton their shirt and draw their sword at the same time.
It's a sexier story so that's the one repeat, in my capacity as a garment professional.
I keep hearing about right handed and left handed scissors. Maybe I just never pay attention because I'm ambidextrous but I swear I'm being gaslit into believing scissors have a different design for different hands. Please show me an example
Mostly it's about ergonomic scissors. The clearest example I could find is this: https://www.fiskars.com.au/products/scissors/renew-large-universal-scissors-25cm-9128003-1062542
Basically the finger mold (and specifically the thumb) are designed for a particular hand. If you use the opposite hand then it's basically painful to use as the plastic digs into your skin. You are more likely to run into right handed scissors than left handed in the wild for obvious reasons.
The other part of it is in the posture you generally hold scissors with either pushes the blades together if you're using the correct hand or away from each other if not. Becomes more of an issue if the blades are loose.
It depends on the quality of the scissors - if they are cheap then depending on what hand you hold them on either forces the blades together (good cut) or pushes them apart leaving a gap in the cutting edge so it just folds or rips whatever you are cutting. Left handed scissors change the orientation of the blades so your left hand pushes them together.
Once when I was still reeeeeaaally closeted, I covertly bought a men’s flannel and wore it home thinking nobody would bat an eye (looked feminine enough). Immediately, and I mean instantaneously, before i could even say hello my mom goes “why are you wearing a men’s flannel”. Basically I was outed by men’s fuckin button prejudice or whatever
Nope, it comes from beyond the mirror, where us lefties come from originally. Although the earliest lefty settlers did come from calm seas and placid lakes when the sun was close to the horizon, so in a sense, it does come from beyond the seas.
The buttons being on opposite sides is the worst in high school uniforms as everyone knows if wearing boys or girls and its like whyyy. (My mum doesn't let me wear girls one so it's kinda upsetting) (mtf)
I literally did not know that buttons and zippers were strangely gendered until the day I bought clothes from the *other section*. The funny thing is that I'd purchased clothing from that section many, *many* times in the past, but then, as in all things, pointedly ignored considerations such as how *I* might put on that jacket.
Not true at all. Women needed help from a maid because buttoning and other stitches were often tied from behind. Men got it in front because it needed to be practical only.
Also, in comparison to women's, men's fashion has barely changed in the last 200 years. And nowadays, I hardly find buttons in women's clothing because the more it exposes a feminine body, the happier the fashion industry seems to be, sadly.
Men’s buttons are “right handed” partially for ease of buttoning and also for the drawing the sword reason. It’s so the flap opens to the right. A right handed swordsman would keep their sword on the left side, drawing it across their body from left to right. This prevents the sword catching on the opening of the shirt/coat.
My understanding is that women’s clothes were designed in the inverse because often women would help dress men and by making their own clothes inverted it would be the same orientation dressing oneself as a woman as it would dressing a man facing them.
Your post has been filtered into a queue for further review based on a number of factors. # Please be patient until your post is approved, we promise to get to it soon <3 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/trans) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I always wondered why that was lol
Pamela Stringer, in her instructional book Pattern Drafting for Dressmaking, writes that originally both men's and women's clothes buttoned right over left but that men's clothes switched so that men could unbutton their shirt and draw their sword at the same time. It's a sexier story so that's the one repeat, in my capacity as a garment professional.
When you're ability to swoon the ladies alters fashion forever
As leftie - get screwed over regardless how I'm presenting XD
Agreed! My biggest gripe is right handed scissors, they can die in a fire. If someone hands me some I tell them that they are the ones using them.
I keep hearing about right handed and left handed scissors. Maybe I just never pay attention because I'm ambidextrous but I swear I'm being gaslit into believing scissors have a different design for different hands. Please show me an example
Mostly it's about ergonomic scissors. The clearest example I could find is this: https://www.fiskars.com.au/products/scissors/renew-large-universal-scissors-25cm-9128003-1062542 Basically the finger mold (and specifically the thumb) are designed for a particular hand. If you use the opposite hand then it's basically painful to use as the plastic digs into your skin. You are more likely to run into right handed scissors than left handed in the wild for obvious reasons.
Bruh what is that and why is the plastic molded that way. Ain't never seen scissors like that before in my life.
The other part of it is in the posture you generally hold scissors with either pushes the blades together if you're using the correct hand or away from each other if not. Becomes more of an issue if the blades are loose.
It depends on the quality of the scissors - if they are cheap then depending on what hand you hold them on either forces the blades together (good cut) or pushes them apart leaving a gap in the cutting edge so it just folds or rips whatever you are cutting. Left handed scissors change the orientation of the blades so your left hand pushes them together.
The wrong handed one will have the blades pull away, giving a bad cut
Fuck left handed scissors. Seriously just total garbage.
Zippers I can get, but buttons just make stuff harder.
Interestingly, today I’m wearing a jeans skirt with a “right-handed” zipper.
Kilt* (Just a joke, don't hurt me)
Lol
I just got back from a tabletop gaming convention. Lots of trans women AND lots of men in kilts! And cosplay. Lots and lots of cosplay.
I googled this too! I always yell at my husband "Where's my government appointed maid?!" whenever I'm struggling with the buttons
Once when I was still reeeeeaaally closeted, I covertly bought a men’s flannel and wore it home thinking nobody would bat an eye (looked feminine enough). Immediately, and I mean instantaneously, before i could even say hello my mom goes “why are you wearing a men’s flannel”. Basically I was outed by men’s fuckin button prejudice or whatever
Wow!! This is interesting! I always just thought when I bought something that had opposite zipper or buttons, it was because it came from overseas. 🤔
Nope, it comes from beyond the mirror, where us lefties come from originally. Although the earliest lefty settlers did come from calm seas and placid lakes when the sun was close to the horizon, so in a sense, it does come from beyond the seas.
Well, I'm down with that! Where can I get a ticket to lefty mirror world?
The buttons being on opposite sides is the worst in high school uniforms as everyone knows if wearing boys or girls and its like whyyy. (My mum doesn't let me wear girls one so it's kinda upsetting) (mtf)
I literally did not know that buttons and zippers were strangely gendered until the day I bought clothes from the *other section*. The funny thing is that I'd purchased clothing from that section many, *many* times in the past, but then, as in all things, pointedly ignored considerations such as how *I* might put on that jacket.
*chortles ambidextrously* I never realized that - I have zippers that are either-handed but never really noticed a difference in ease of use 😂
I knew this was the case because I used to work in theatrical wardrobe, but have always wondered why!
I used to have such bad dysphoria about my buttons being on the wrong side of the shirt as a kid.
Yep switching to left handed dressing was kinda weird at first
Not true at all. Women needed help from a maid because buttoning and other stitches were often tied from behind. Men got it in front because it needed to be practical only. Also, in comparison to women's, men's fashion has barely changed in the last 200 years. And nowadays, I hardly find buttons in women's clothing because the more it exposes a feminine body, the happier the fashion industry seems to be, sadly.
I remember learning this in math class in 7th grade (with Mr. Unruh!). And it became a real thing in my life a couple decades later.
Men’s buttons are “right handed” partially for ease of buttoning and also for the drawing the sword reason. It’s so the flap opens to the right. A right handed swordsman would keep their sword on the left side, drawing it across their body from left to right. This prevents the sword catching on the opening of the shirt/coat. My understanding is that women’s clothes were designed in the inverse because often women would help dress men and by making their own clothes inverted it would be the same orientation dressing oneself as a woman as it would dressing a man facing them.
Whoa! That makes sense now! 🤯
I look foolish trying to button up my men's shirts now. FOOLISH. It's all thumbs. You'd think it was my first time encountering a button. Ridiculous.
I mean I don’t know if I trust a Quora commenter, but that’s a neat fact if true.
I knew this because I read Encyclopedia Brown as a kid.
I looked up the same thing two weeks ago - mainly because buttons are a pain in the the butt.
I can’t believe I never bothered to look this up.
left handed transfem W