Anyone that has worn a button-front shirt has likely noticed that the buttons are different, depending on whether it’s a men or women’s shirt. Chances are you haven’t given it much thought, but as it turns out, there’s actually a pretty interesting story that explains why.

As it turns out, the different styles date all the way back to when buttons were invented, around the 13th century.

Only wealthy women could afford to have buttons on their shirts, and if you were wealthy, you also had ladies maids. So having the buttons on the other side made sense, because it was someone else buttoning your clothes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/button-down-shirts_us_5787e110e4b08608d33399e4