Why Gendered Buttons? Making a Waistcoat for a Historical Gonzo Muppets Christmas Carol Cosplay

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Part 2 of "oh no, what have I done?". It's time for the waistcoat! Probably the most obvious piece in the entire ensemble, waistcoats in the 1840s were very popularly made from vivid colors and graphic designs. The Victorians definitely were NOT boring. So it's not surprising that Gonzo went with a BRIGHT red and orange plaid. I was fortunate enough to find a silk taffeta in just the right design from Prism Silks https://prismsilks.com/products/red-o...

For the design, not much had to be adjusted from the movie costume. Shawl collar and double breasted was very common at the time of Dickens, I just had to add details like welted pockets and one more row of buttons (I'm not muppet sized). Most of the adventure with this piece came down to construction and research! Waistcoats aren't a particularly complex tailored garment in comparison to coats and trousers, but there are always choices to be made in how they go together. And the 1840s was no different- there were plenty of techniques and details that aren't common outside of that era, so checking on each choice I was making was essential.

Inevitably I ended up with a research path that took me a bit off course and into the weeds of The Victorian Myth. The idea that left over right fasteners are for men and right over left is for women has clearly been around long enough that we as a society have forgotten why it ever started! Which, usually points to a very mundane origin to be honest. If someone decides a new standard and rule for ReAsOns, they nearly always announce it loudly. But the direction of the button fastenings had no such announcement. Just guesses and theories as to their mysterious origins going all the way back to the 1880s. But the likely culprit is easy to find if we just take a look at original garments and the progress of fasteners throughout the centuries.

Most of the theories come down to "men are strong and need to fight" and "women are weak and motherly". Which isn't surprising considering they were developed in the 1880s-1920s range (and nearly all the articles I found on this were written by men- about how women function...). The simple answer? Most of Europe tends to be right handed. It doesn't have to involve swords or babies, just whatever way is easier to do buttons (or hooks). It's such a boring answer that it actually answers the second part of the problem- how didn't we remember why?

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00:00 Introduction
03:31 Left over Right
09:35 Right over Left
17:35 Design & Research
20:22 Stitching