Why the buttons on men's and women's shirts are sewn on opposite sides

There are many mysteries behind our clothes.

Those little tiny rivets on our trousers ? They're there so they don't wear out quickly - a throwback to the days when miners wore jeans.

And even if you don't work in a mine, Levi Strauss himself waded in on the conundrum around how often we should be washing our jeans (hint: Not very often).

Needless to say, items which have stood the test of time and faddy, ever-changing fashions are steeped in history.

Take the humble button-down shirt - a wardrobe classic loved by both sexes.

But have you noticed the subtle difference between men's shirts and women's shirts?

For men's shirts, the buttons are on the right hand side. Making it easy for right-handed men to button them up.

For women's, they run down the left.

But, hang on - the majority of the human population are right-handed. So why aren't ALL buttons on the right?

There's no one definitive reason but, according to Business Insider , there are few theories which will have evolved and maintained this set-up.

1. Being a mum

Traditionally, mothers held their babies with their left hands, which left their dominant right hand free.

In order to make breastfeeding easier, buttons were sewn on the left, enabling mums to undo their shirts with a minimum of awkwardness.

2. Riding side-saddle

Back in the day, female equestrians tended to ride sat on the left.

Therefore, to reduce the strength and quantity of air flow through a woman's shirt when riding, buttons again were placed on the left.

3. The staff

Another historic theory. This one harks back to when certain members of society had servants.

Clothing conventions became standardized during industrial revolution. While wealthy men dressed themselves, their female counterparts still got dressed by their servants. Lucky old them.

So, to help the servants out, and assuming the majority of them were right-handed, the buttons were sewn down the left. How thoughtful.