Same. Now I’m trying to think of all the things non-ambidextrous people would have trouble with.
Same here. I rarely wear long sleeved shirts (only for sun protection) but buttoning sure isn’t the reason.
Maybe I tie my shoes with bunny ears, but I can still button myself up. I wear a shirt and tie most days of my life, so maybe it’s just practice.
Regards,
Shodan
Unidextrous (right-handed), and can do it easily. The only time I have trouble is sometimes if the button and buttonhole are too big and small respectively, and I can’t put enough force on it with my left hand to get it to go through. Not a dexterity problem, so much as a strength problem. For some reason, my right hand is a lot stronger when doing that kind of thing.
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I can button both. I can also tie the laces, if I’m wearing a style of shirt that has laced cuffs.
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I’m having a hard time picturing exactly what sort of shirt that would be.
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Same. Now I’m trying to think of all the things non-ambidextrous people would have trouble with.
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Have you ever seen someone switch their fork to the other hand after cutting a piece of meat? We’ve discussed this a few times here; people that do this are not unrefined boobs, they just don’t have the dexterity to pick up the peas with their less used hand.
As for me, I can button my cuffs with my opposite hand but have to allow myself about five extra minutes to do the clasp on a bracelet.
100% of the poll voters can do both. Most lopsided poll ever? Sorry Spectre, looks like you’re alone in this. It has never even crossed my mind how this could be a problem for someone with two working hands.
I’ve had a lot of practice.
No, they’re just following traditional European, or what is now known as American style etiquette.
Huh, tell that to all my British friends who mock me :o
Seriously though, it seems reasonable that one would just use whatever method came naturally when they were learning to feed themselves. I can’t say with certainty, but I sure as heck don’t remember being *instructed *to switch hands; I just did it because it was easier (if more involved). Sometimes I try not to do it when I’m around said mocking Brits, and I can, but it’s unnatural and not really worth the effort.
Right handed, though I bat and golf left-handed (my father was left-handed) and no problem. I read the title as asking if you could put a shirt on if you button the sleeves first. That would be quite some trick.
I really can’t button either button with any degree of success, which is one of the reasons why I hardly ever wear long-sleeve shirts, even in the dead of winter. A little easier to button the left sleeve (I’m right-handed), but not by a lot. Generally I have to ask for help.
I also can’t really tie a tie, which used to bug me a lot but I have made my peace with it. Hurray for clip-ons.
ETA: I just looked at the poll and am shocked and a bit embarrassed. I expected to be in the minority, but this is ridiculous: 82 people who can easily button both sleeves, and then there’s…me. Yeeks.
Like this, for example: http://www.poetshirts.com/highlander_poet_shirt.html
I can do it, but it takes a lot longer and is a lot more frustrating on my right hand, to the point that I try not to have to do it.
I’m right handed - sorta ambidextrous, can’t write or do fine motor control but can pick up things fine with both hands. Just can’t seem to get the hang of buttoning my right cuff though.
Not ambidextrous with most stuff, but sure I can button 'em. As others have said, I had no idea this was a problem.
And I also can’t get shirts on or off if the cuffs are buttoned.
I can do it, but one side definitely takes longer than the other side
I’m right-handed but I’ve noticed that I have a much harder time buttoning my left cuff (with my right hand) than the other way around. Actually, there are several things that I do better left-handed (or -footed), high jump being one.
I CAN button both, but virtually never do. Part of my shtick is to have both cuffs unbuttoned, and pushed partway back on my arms. This gives me the appearance of being industrious, but I actually do it because my arms are so long that no shirt actually fits properly.
(Tall sizes typically go to 37 inch sleeves; my arms are 38 plus.)
It’s pretty much the same for me. I am right hand dominant, at least. But from playing instruments, and breaking my right arm and dislocating my right thumb in adolescence: I can do all kinds of fun things with my left hand, including write. It’s not pretty writing, and I can’t make my signature with my left. However, there are very few things short of writing or playing a musical instrument that I can’t flip right to left.
But you want to know what’s weird? This guy putting on a girl’s shirt. Those buttons all going the wrong way is far more disturbing than it should be. It’s like climbing a ladder with your back to it.
Tight handed… can button both if needed, but usually I button them up before putting the shirt on… unless the cuffs are cut that tight that I can’t get my hand through buttoned.