Fashion Why a buttonhole on the back of a shirt? The answer is easier than you think

Mentions of a tab on the back of a men’s shirt date back to the early 19th century, when a shirt with a tab on the back was believed to be expensive and of high quality. But the loop itself appeared much earlier. Its location is not entirely usual, and therefore fashion historians have tried to figure out why a loop is needed in such an unusual place.

There are several versions of where this loop came from. So, for example, there is an assumption that this loop was needed to fasten a scarf or tie. The accessory passed through the loop and remained in place even during active movements: cowboys, according to some researchers, did not lose the neckband.

However, another version looks more plausible and we tend to believe it. It is possible that British sailors were the first to sew a loop on the back of the shirt. They needed to look neat and tidy even on the boat during a multi-day cruise. Ironing shirts was somewhat problematic and there was little storage space. As a result, sailors came up with the idea of ​​sewing small loops on their backs and hanging their shirts on hooks. So the clothes don’t roll and wrinkle less. This means that the loops really served to hang clothes for them, and not for other purposes – everything is simple.

Why wasn’t the tab sewn on the inside like they do on jackets and other outerwear? Here too is the answer. A loop sewn from the inside would rub the neck and wearing such clothes would bring discomfort.

In the future, they began to sew loops not only for sailors, but also for other men’s shirts. Now the need to carefully hang them on the boat while sailing is not so acute, but the detail remains. However, modern loops are much smaller than those originally sewn.

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