Blame the Button?

[ophelia]

In another post someone mused over what makes something "womens'" attire.
I heard in a documentary somewhere that we can blame the humble button.
Believe it or not, when the button fastener, which we all take for granted, first appeared it was available only to those of class or of means. Those women of means had servants for dressing them in the rather complicated fashions of the day, and those servants were mainly right-handed. So their clothes ended up buttoning to the left.
I've been crossdressing for years, but I still have finger struggles making the "button shift" wearing a lovely blouse.
You could easily find two otherwise identical ensembles of bluejeans and white cotton long-sleeve shirts. If publicly you wore the jeans-shirt ensemble buttoning and zipping up to the left at work say...at the mall, at church ...some people would look at you oddly..
And if you look back historically at male fashion you'll find lots of stockings, waistcoats and satin blouses....

[I Am Paula]

While you are correct about the history of the button, nobody will ever notice you wearing a 'women's side' buttoned shirt at the mall. In fact, you can wear full drag at the mall and nobody will notice.

[alice clair]

I read about the buttons somewhere also and you are correct about that, things we take for granted now were a dilemma then I suppose.

[ophelia]

But a simple thing like the placement of a button or the size, shape and placements of pockets on the booty of some jeans still (to a degree) decides what's for girls and what's for boys. I find that fascinating.
It goes further than that. And although it is changing, our deep perceptions of which colors and fabrics still fall into the ladies' hamper is based on what?

[Chari]

Most of todays colors, material, style, and cut, were created through fashion trends and needs, and the "button" came along for the ride. Today it is more of a choice of what the individual feels comfortable and confident wearing, and is (somewhat) fashionable. Enjoy.

[Beverley Sims]

Paula and Ophelia,
I often wear full drag, no boobs tho' at the mall even a pink polo shirt, you are right no one notices.
Once at Pearl Harbor I was complimented in my dress by some girls at a drink stand.
They thought that it was cool that I was wearing skinny hipster jeans.
I was also wearing the pink polo shirt and that did not elicit a comment.

[ophelia]

So as clothing for men and women becomes less gender identifying does that make it more or less easy to occasionally identify with another gender?

I revel in "vive le difference!"

[donnalee]

The sex of clothing is totally a societal construct, based on tradition and skewed by whoever is found by a majority of buyers a successful clothing designer ("no bucks, no Buck Rogers!" - No Attribution - said by one, or of, the early space program). I have noticed many more androgynous looking young people than used to be the case; I believe this is due, in large part, to the idea that you can be anything and love anyone you wish without another trying to prevent it, a very positive change to society in my opinion, although the down side is it was achieved by propagandizing the young (elementary school and beyond; if you get the channel for free, you still have commercials to deal with), just as was done in my school days 60+ years ago. When you grow up, you get to make the separations.

[BLUE ORCHID]

It's funny that it's easier buttoning a blouse than my guy shirts

[Teresa]

Ophelia I was only thinking recently I don't have to think if I'm buttoning a shirt or a blouse it's automatic ! Annoyingly some of the blouse buttons are small and my slightly arthritic fingers struggle a bit. I did get caught out with my drab dressing gown I hesitated which side in front of the wife, she just gestured the right way and shook her head ! Thanks for the info I didn't realise the reason for the difference.