Why do girls & boys shirts button up on different sides?

[Jackieharris]

Not that there should even be 'girls' and 'boys' shirts?

I think it's because in the dim and distant past aristocratic men dressed themselves, whilst aristocratic women were dressed by a ladies maid.

I've been wondering this myself. I've just crocheted a cardi for my DD and it had different instructions for the button holes depending on whether it was for a boy or a girl.

What muttoncadet said

this suggests slightly differently.

On the few garments I've worn which weren't buttoned the female way I've found it much more awkward. I haven't bought anything recently from them but I have a dress and raincoat from Jackpot/ Carly Gris which button on the "wrong " side.

Thanks

I've had a look on snopes.

The answer (as far as there is one) seems to be that no-one really knows.

The three most frequently given answers are the ladies maid (but that ignores the differences in male fashion pre-Victoria and that men were dressed by valets); sword hand; and means of enforcing a religious ban on wearing clothes of the other sex.

Buttons have been around for millennia, and it's not really known when the divide started let alone why.

It was probably started in the early 90s to increase their profit margins. Probably by Lego, or Kelloggs.

Do you mean 1890s? If you mean 1990s definitely in place long before then.

In my 5th year at school mother bought me a new boy's blazer as I'd only be wearing it for my 5th and 6th year and a boy's blazer could be used by my little brother (10 years between us) but not a girl's blazer. It did make sense. I didn't mind and it was accepted that way round was fine.

Nope def not 1890s. I remember those days.

I remember being told that women's clothes were made so that it was easier (for right handed women) to breastfeed, whereas men's shirts were made so that (right handed) men could pull a knife from inside their shirt.

Confusingly, if you by American clothes (birth DH and I have garments from North Face) they seem to fasten the opposite way round for both sexes