I presume this has to do with how one should draw the buttons on a woman's dress. I know they're on the 'opposite' side compared to mens clothing but I have no idea why this is so.
Wow you at least had a guess -- I had NO IDEA what it was.
I should know, too -- I work giving clothing out to the needy and I have to be able to tell what is what, but I always have to pick up something I KNOW and compare it to the unknown. I so fail at buttons. :(
I've heard it explained that it's because well-to-do men would dress themselves, but women would have a servant to help, so the buttons were reversed to make it easier.
Curious, I did a search, and found the following, which gives a couple possibilities:
Come to think of it I think I heard that explanation long ago as well (the women having a servant dress them vs men who dress themselves). I never heard of the 'breast-feeding' explanation before.
Heehee. This was an illustration from the 1961 Better Homes and Gardens 'How to Sew Book for Girls' I handed the book to prickvixen because we were talking about pattern stuff. My grandmother bought this book and had given it to my mother, who later gave it to me. For the most part it's useful but written in a terribly condescending tone about how you're supposed to be a good little homemaker and such.
We got off on a discussion about the button sizes and I got to giggling so hard, I thought I'd share it. Of course, I think everyone should wear more giant buttons. I lust for buttons the size of drink coasters! Those would be the most awsome buttons ever. So I swapped the right and wrong tags.
Now, I must say. People speculating on the meanings of the picture made it ALL THE BETTER! I clearly must make more cryptic photoposts. :)
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I should know, too -- I work giving clothing out to the needy and I have to be able to tell what is what, but I always have to pick up something I KNOW and compare it to the unknown. I so fail at buttons. :(
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Curious, I did a search, and found the following, which gives a couple possibilities:
http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20031205.html (http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20031205.html)
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Sammi, when did you become the anti-Cargo?
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We got off on a discussion about the button sizes and I got to giggling so hard, I thought I'd share it. Of course, I think everyone should wear more giant buttons. I lust for buttons the size of drink coasters! Those would be the most awsome buttons ever. So I swapped the right and wrong tags.
Now, I must say. People speculating on the meanings of the picture made it ALL THE BETTER! I clearly must make more cryptic photoposts. :)