Take a look at the placket on your favorite shirt, the part that has all the buttons. There’s a good chance that most of the holes are stitched vertically. But if you look carefully, you might notice that the bottom one is horizontal. In fact, it might even have a different color of stitching. Like many details of shirt designs, this one was born from practicality, and the reason for its orientation isn’t sideways at all.
The reason shirts have horizontal buttons
“Common shirt lore is that the last hole is sewn horizontally so that button and buttonhole can endure more stress from pulling,” says Chris Olberding, president of Gitman Vintage. “That part of the shirt would generally equate to the waist and hip area, which sees more movement than the chest.”
As we walk, our bodies tend to twist side to side, so most of the movement buttons experience is horizontal. This movement is more intense around our waist and hips. The horizontal orientation of the bottom buttonhole gives the button leeway to shift about, preventing it from coming undone.
Why don’t the other buttons follow suit?
Generally speaking, vertical buttonholes are more prone to buttons popping out than horizontal buttonholes. So why aren’t all the buttons horizontal?
Vertical buttonholes are easier to fasten. They also look cleaner since the buttons are less likely to shift from side to side.
