Exactly — that tiny detail isn’t random at all. Women’s shirts button on the left because historically, upper-class women were dressed by right-handed maids, making it easier for someone else to fasten the buttons. Men’s shirts button on the right because men needed quick access to their dominant hand for swords, weapons, or tools.
Over time, this practical choice became a social signal: women as dependent or ornamental, men as active and autonomous. Even with industrialization and modern fashion, the asymmetry persisted — a subtle echo of centuries-old gender roles built into something as mundane as your morning routine.
Every time you button your shirt, you’re literally interacting with a small piece of history.
If you want, I can break it down visually so it’s super easy to remember which side is which and why. Do you want me to do that?