Why do shirts button differently depending on whether they are categorized for men or women? And where do the buttons come from anyway?

Here at La Chemise Club, we don't gender our selection, but we love buttons. Let's take a leap from the past to the present.

Buttons

There are an infinite number of buttons, each more original than the last. We therefore wanted to take a little historical tour to celebrate this little detail that changes everything on our shirts:

Originally, the button was a fashionista accessory. Indeed, the first date from Ancient Rome, and are more aesthetic than practical. It was only from the 13th century that they were used in Europe to hold clothes in place, and we first saw them on... shirt sleeves! The button became, under Louis XIV, a luxurious fashion accessory decorated with jewels and paintings; legend says that you can find some at the club...

Formerly made of bone, ivory or mother-of-pearl, the button was then made of porcelain from the 19th century. Then, to industrialize it, a more plastic paste was used, resulting in a process allowing up to 500 buttons to be pressed at a time. Following this, the four-hole button was invented to improve the hold of the latter, by a certain Alexandre Massé, whom we do not carry in our hearts because it is really not the easiest to sew.

Genre

Beyond the advent of the button, a question arises: why is there a right buttoning and a left buttoning?

Indeed, the shirts initially intended for women have a buttonhole on the left, unlike those for men. This difference would have appeared in the 17th century; and could be explained by the fact that women were dressed by their servants, who therefore needed to button easily. The men dressed alone (the big boys), and carried their sword on the left. The buttoning should not hinder access to the weapon, so that these brave alpha fighters could draw with their right hand at any time.

So here you are, educated on the history and meaning of buttoning. But the truth is that it doesn't matter, and what matters is just your crush on a shirt, which might just happen because of its beautiful buttons.