Horizontal Button Holes on Shirts?

[simonc]

Can anyone please shed any light on horizontal button holes on shirts? When where they popular, was there a particular style of shirt only bearing these holes, a certain kind of fabric?

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

As far as I know they were common on aloha shirts which were popular in the late 30s to 40s. On other casual shirts (loop collar style for example) I guess after WW2 but I could tell a date when it started.

But the top and sometimes the last button on other shirts is also often horizontal.

 

[Tomasso]

But the top and sometimes the last button on other shirts is also often horizontal.

The horizontal bottom button serves to "lock" the placket thereby assuring that any pattern stays matched.

Horizontal button holes require exacting placement of button and hole which is probably why most shirtmakers eschew them.

 

[SteveAS]

Very interesting observations, A.C.

 

[MikeBravo]

Most shirts that I have seen have vertical buttonholes. Mind you, of my 40 shirts I have only one with horizontal button holes, and it is about 70s era.

My jackets and waistcoats (outergarments) have horizontal buttonholes. My understanding of the reason was so that there would be less distortion of the button holes if the wearer put on weight or had to stretch. A vertical hole would expand and cause more wear. Also I think vertical buttonholes are easier and cheaper for the above reasons.