When did women's buttons change sides?

themerchantsofvintage

themerchantsofvintage

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When did women\'s buttons change sides?

Watched Dangerous Liaisons again last night and noticed that the jacket Glenn Close wears, as well as a stay on Michelle Pheiffer do up on what is now considered the men's side. Does anyone know when buttons changed sides for women and why?

Just curious.

Thanks!
 
BUttons on women's gowns in the 18th century are rare. You usually only find them on riding habits and there was one type of stomacher that used buttons (they have a name but I can't remember what its called right now) I am quite sure that because the buttons are on the front of the garment they follow the same logic as men's buttons on the front of vests and coats. However, women's garments don't use buttons in the early 19th Century (aside perhaps from a buttoned short jacket and even then I can't think of any I have ever seen - short jackets usually use hooks and eyes or decorative loops and toggles, like frogs) By the mid 19th century any buttoning on women's gowns are either up the back of the dress (and buttoned by someone else), or decorative. I don't know the date, but I would assume it would sometime during the mid 19th century that women's buttons move to the opposite side because they are in places where you need someone else to button them and they retain that difference into the 20th century out of tradition.
 
I've had 1860's and 1870's bodices where the buttons have been on the "man's" side (although not as common as the buttons being on the "woman's" side) so it seems that it came down to the preference of the wearer as well (maybe left handed women prefered the buttons on the "man's" side?

Lei
 
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