Ever wondered why men and women's shirts button up on different sides. Picture: Getty

They may look similar when they are done up but there’s a built-in difference which seems to be totally pointless.

Men’s dress shirts have their buttons on the right while women’s have them on the left — but why?

The Sun reports that it’s not because more women are left-handed than men — it’s much more Downton Abbey than that.

It turns out it’s a throwback to the upstairs-downstairs days of Victorian society and the intricate layers worn by the ladies of the day.

Back then, buttons were extremely expensive and therefore seen as a status symbol, so wealthier women had plenty of them on their dresses.

But upper class women — who set the fashions of the day — rarely dressed themselves and therefore the elaborate outfits had to be fastened by someone who was facing them.

So the buttons were placed on the left, to make it easier for the ladies’ maids to do up — assuming she was right-handed.

While a few men had valets, most dressed themselves as their outfits were less complicated — so the button rows were designed for the wearer to be right-handed.

When sewing machines came in and fashion became more mass market, the buttons stuck so that the less privileged could mimic the style of the wealthy trendsetters.

Almost 200 years on, it seems the idea of male and female buttons has stayed with us — even though it’s pretty defunct.

Buttons on men and women’s jeans are also different. Picture: GettySource:Supplied

It even applies to modern jeans and trousers — which button on opposite sides in many brands — and most school uniforms.

There are other theories about the button position, one of which has a swashbuckling romance.

Some believe it was because men held their sword in their right hand and the button position made it easier for them to unbutton their shirt, coat or waistcoat while holding their weapon.

However, that doesn’t explain why women’s would be placed the opposite way round.

And why you would need to undress while brandishing a sword is anyone’s guess.

This article originally appeared in The Sun