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Buttons on the other side?

donCarlos

Practically Family
Messages
566
Location
Prague, CZ
There was a link to "mensitaly.com" site recently, I´m browsing their catalog now and I found this nice double-breasted suit:
http://www.mensitaly.com/products.aspx?id=845

But the buttons are on the other side!
In the world where men´s and women´s gamrnets are often distinguishable only by position of the buttons, what the heck does this mean???
 

donCarlos

Practically Family
Messages
566
Location
Prague, CZ
CaptainB said:
I think it's just buttoned the wrong way, as I can't see a buttonhole for the lower button?
I haven´t noticed that! I think the problem is solved.

Madcap72 What do you mean, metric?
 

Madcap72

One of the Regulars
Messages
156
Location
Seattle WA
It's buttoned backwards!

I took a second look, it seems as if who ever put it on the dummy, buttoned the hole meant for the INSIDE button, on the outside, note that the lower button has no button hole to go into.

I would guess the suits built correctly for a man, but was put on by some one used to buttoning suits the way it's shown...
 

Madcap72

One of the Regulars
Messages
156
Location
Seattle WA
CaptainB said:
I think it's just buttoned the wrong way, as I can't see a buttonhole for the lower button?


Oops! I guess to someone in Europe, that joke wouldn't makes any sense at all.
Here in the states; with the refusal to switch to metric, anytime someone mentions something about something not fitting right or being different, some one will say "that's because it's metric". Well, maybe not so much "some one" but me, when I'm joking with some of the Canadians I worked with.

But I'm light hearted about it.
 

donCarlos

Practically Family
Messages
566
Location
Prague, CZ
I knew it was a joke :) That´s one of the reasons I could never live in the USA, I can show you a meter with my hands, but not a foot. I can walk a kilometer, but not a mile :)
 

Madcap72

One of the Regulars
Messages
156
Location
Seattle WA
Actually, I'm pretty savvy with some of the metric system, In the Marines, we used metric for distance, since every country we traveled to, measures in said system.

Now as far as converting a gallon to liters? Inches to centimeters? Hat sizes? I'm googling it!
 

Ethan Bentley

One Too Many
Messages
1,225
Location
The New Forest, Hampshire, UK
donCarlos said:
I knew it was a joke :) That´s one of the reasons I could never live in the USA, I can show you a meter with my hands, but not a foot. I can walk a kilometer, but not a mile :)


in the UK we seem to have an unholy mix of metric and imperial. I could show you a metre or a foot and I could estimate a mile but not a kilometre. Weight-wise I use stone, for people. I'm not even sure how many other countries use that?
 

donCarlos

Practically Family
Messages
566
Location
Prague, CZ
To continue this offtopic...
I can use feet and nautical miles and knots correctly only in aviation, which is, thank God, the only major international use of these imperial units. (with naval use, of course...). Metric system in aviation is used only in Russia, China, Mongolia and some more countries of the former USSR.

But why would anyone want to measure distance in miles on land? 1,6 km... What a distance... Pfff :)
 

zetwal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,343
Location
Texas
I think that occasionally a designer will just try to be differant. What a revelation! Or perhaps it's actually a manufacturing mistake?

I happen to have a very masculine looking leather jacket with the zipper on the opposite side. I never even noticed it until I let someone borrow the jacket and he pointed it out.

Is there a male and female zipper orientation as well?
 

donCarlos

Practically Family
Messages
566
Location
Prague, CZ
zetwal said:
I think that occasionally a designer will just try to be differant. What a revelation! Or perhaps it's actually a manufacturing mistake?

I happen to have a very masculine looking leather jacket with the zipper on the opposite side. I never even noticed it until I let someone borrow the jacket and he pointed it out.

Is there a male and female zipper orientation as well?
I think there is. It´s just like with the buttons - men´s clothes has button holes on the left side. And the zippers on men´s clothes are accessed from the right side (e.g. they are covered from left)

BellyTank I didn´t mean the thing about walking literally. I can walk three swedish miles, that has already been proven. I meant that I can estimate the distance in kilometres, but not in miles. It´s just the background we are from.
 

dschonn

Familiar Face
Messages
76
Location
Nashville
I did some research on historical Polish and other eastern European costume once, and in that region a few hundred years ago, I seem to recall that men buttoned their garments the opposite way (right over left). I suppose I may be making this up, but I'm fairly certain I read that somewhere. It really is an arbitrary decision which side to put the buttons on, and it's not that surprising that some cultures have historically chosen the way opposite to ours.

But with the suit in question, I agree that it's just buttoned wrong.
 

Madcap72

One of the Regulars
Messages
156
Location
Seattle WA
I've read that button holes are on the left of mens coats, so that the sword, hanging on the left side could clear. Button holes on the right, would leave a funnel to catch a drawn sword in.

Could be the reason, could be some ones revisionist history. Makes sense tough.
 

zetwal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,343
Location
Texas
Interestingly enough, according to Robert Doran, that's the reason that the bow on men's hats is on the left as well. The bow used to be a trailing ornament and hung far down. It had to be on the left so as to not interfer with the sword arm.
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
Many modern sartorial rules evolved from military and equestrian accommodations.
 

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