Left-right buttoning
Regarding Hitler’s overcoat and buttoning on the ‘wrong side’, Dave Miles asserts that “the origin of men’s buttons being on the right, so that the garment overlaps left to right, is in plates of armour” [FT439:66].
Hmmmm. In jousting, the participants ‘hit’ each other, approaching on the left side. So, having an edge to your harness is a bad thing when your attacker can shove a lance tip under and through to your ‘meat.’ Yup. So a left jousting plate will overlap a right one. Plate (or any other harness) is designed to take hits from any direction! However, outside jousting circles, we must look to practical usage.
In the UK, the traffic layout is that we drive on the left and see those travelling in the opposite direction coming towards us on the right. We approach ‘traffic’ on our right side with our right side. Why? Long story but ... A majority of men are righthanded. Thus, you carry a sword on your left to draw with your right. Cross-body, as it were.
When you carry a sword on horseback, it rests on your left hip. If nervous you’d hold the reins in your left hand, in order to keep your right available. Then, if you approach someone also on horseback and swordarmed, both of you have your sword-arm free.
So if a bloke carries a sword at his hip, it’s on the left. A coat, which might cover the handle, should allow for a right hand to reach through to the weapon held on the hip without having to flip it aside... though it looks cool.
All this and it leads into fashion...
So ‘blokes’ wear overlapping fabric to allow the opening to be available to a right hand. Tradition. It’s the ‘done’ thing. You left-handed? Life sucks... get used to it. This is the origin of male overclothing being folded from left to right. You a girliegirl? You don’t need access to your sidearm. Sorry – but this is the historical attitude, not mine. And finally ...
Has anyone considered that the photo of Adolf has been mirrored? Being left-handed I’ve had to ‘cope’ being in a righthanded world. I don’t expect the world to change for my convenience. But, let’s face it – if you are a dictator then you can afford to tell the tailor which side you ‘dress’.
Alan Cassady-Bishop
Filey, North Yorkshire