During the Victorian period, buttons were quite expensive, and were mostly worn by rich people. Since proper, well-to-do ladies were dressed by their servants, and most people are right-handed, their buttons were placed on the servant's right, which is the wearer's left side. However, most gentlemen dressed themselves, so their buttons were placed on the wearer's right side.

Those who could not afford servants copied the style of the wealthy, and women's buttons thereafter remained on the left.