# horizontal buttonhole? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 16, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401 "2016-04-16T20:30:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/1 "2016-04-16T20:30:42Z")
I bought some new dress shirts, and I noticed that all the buttonholes are vertical, except for the one on the button, which is horizontal. Is there any particular reason for that? ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/2 "2016-04-16T20:55:22Z")
One on the button? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/3 "2016-04-16T21:01:20Z")
The buttonhole on the top button is always horizontal. Maybe it has to do with how the shirt moves at the throat so the button stays buttoned? So when you move your head forward it doesn’t push the button through the buttonhole, if you follow me? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/4 "2016-04-16T21:09:03Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > I bought some new dress shirts, and I noticed that all the buttonholes are vertical, except for the one on the button, which is horizontal. Is there any particular reason for that? I assume you mean “the one on the bottom.” Yes, several shirts I have bought in the past few years are like that. I assume it’s because the buttons on the top and bottom may be more under stress from pulling up and down, while the others are more under stress from pulling from the sides. At any rate, have the buttonholes in different directions from an adjacent probably helps them from coming undone. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/5 "2016-04-16T21:14:58Z")
I did NOT read the second word of this thread title correctly the first time! ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/6 "2016-04-16T21:24:42Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I did NOT read the second word of this thread title correctly the first time! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/7 "2016-04-16T21:28:13Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I did NOT read the second word of this thread title correctly the first time! > [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > :eek: Me, three! On the other hand, “Horizontal Buttholes” would be a great band name! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/8 "2016-04-16T21:41:36Z")
I find it helpful to know when I got to the end of the buttoning. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2016, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/9 "2016-04-16T22:59:00Z")
I also misread the thread title. I immediately thought, “If you ever try to go down a slide, it would go _phhhhbbbbbbbbbbbt!_” ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/10 "2016-04-17T00:40:31Z")
You owe me a new keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![mage-girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@mage-girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mage-girl)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/11 "2016-04-17T02:12:07Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I did NOT read the second word of this thread title correctly the first time! Neither did I! :o In my defense, I was just glancing over the thread topics. Yeah. That’s it. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/12 "2016-04-17T03:25:54Z")
> [@mage-girl](#): > > Neither did I! :o > > In my defense, I was just glancing over the thread topics. Yeah. That’s it. :dubious: I thought I was the only one! Total Beavis moment. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/13 "2016-04-17T03:31:13Z")
Heh-heh! He said, “Butt on hole.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/14 "2016-04-17T04:40:34Z")
My dress shirts have the bottom button hole horizontal. Not the top button hole. I just checked some older beat-up dress shirts I still have laying around. One has the horizontal bottom button hole, one does not. I checked a flannel shirt. It does not have a horzontal bottom button hole. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/15 "2016-04-17T05:08:10Z")
All my hus band’s dress shirts have the top buttonhole horizontal, not the bottom one. Two of hem are Van Heusen and the third is Croft and Barrow. What brand are yours, Senegoid? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2016, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/16 "2016-04-17T22:52:53Z")
:o Read it wrong at first too. What is wrong with all of us that we read it that way, and more importantly what is wrong with us that we clicked on it? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/17 "2016-04-18T01:24:07Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > All my hus band’s dress shirts have the top buttonhole horizontal, not the bottom one. Two of hem are Van Heusen and the third is Croft and Barrow. What brand are yours, Senegoid? Bottom hole vertical: Land’s End, Van Heusen, Cambridge Classics, Manhattan, Chaps, Arrow Bottom hole horizontal: Land’s End, Stafford (2), St. John’s Bay (2) Note Land’s End, one of each – they’re the same style shirt too. None of them have the top hole horizontal. I don’t recall that I ever saw one like that. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/18 "2016-04-18T02:25:36Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > :o Read it wrong at first too. What is wrong with all of us that we read it that way, and more importantly what is wrong with us that we clicked on it? EXACTLY!!! I have never seen a horizontal buttonhole at the collar but it makes sense to me, it would give a little ease at the collar. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/19 "2016-04-18T02:43:39Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > None of them have the top hole horizontal. I don’t recall that I ever saw one like that. > [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > EXACTLY!!! I have never seen a horizontal buttonhole at the collar but it makes sense to me, it would give a little ease at the collar. I think you must be wrong about that. Every single one of my shirts that I checked, and I checked a couple dozen, has the collar button horizontal. This includes Van Heusen, St. John’s Bay, Dockers, Cambridge, Columbia, and others. A horizontal collar buttonhole is standard on shirts. From [here.](http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/07/button-placing-and-spacing/) > [@](#): > > If there is a front placket, such as the one found on a classic button-up shirt with a collar stand, the buttonholes run vertically down the placket, yet the buttonhole on the collar stand is sewn in the horizontal direction. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401/20 "2016-04-18T03:24:08Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I thought I was the only one! Total Beavis moment. Holy moley! I came here to see if other people had eye shaped… well, you know… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horizontal-buttonhole/752401.md?page=2)