We received an email from Graham recently that got us thinking again about one-side clothing that is awkward for us lefthanders to wear and use.
"As a pilot I can get a pilot's pullover with a pocket on the sleeve to stow pencils etc. However as a left hander it is simply on the wrong side (pesky right handed designers). Can you let me know if I can get one with the pocket on the correct side, that is on the right arm so I can reach it with my LEFT hand and go straight to work."
Graham W.
We have reported before on left-handed underwear and we will be doing some more research on this for the next newsletter, but we wanted to get your initial views and experiences to help us get started. Clothing items that come immediately to mind include:Pants / briefs with the openings going the wrong way
- Shirts with pockets in the wrong place (left arm or left breast)
- Trouser with one back pocket (on the right)
- Zips and buttons that open the wrong way (though there is a whole issue here about mens and ladies clothing and the opening directions being different)
- Technical clothing such as Tactical Vests and Gun Dog Vests.
Follow up
After our short feature on one-sided clothing last month we got some interesting comments about other items that cause a problem for lefthanders:
- Coin pockets in men's suit jackets
- Bras, especially front fastening ones
[Keith - I don't understand this one so please tell us about it!] - Nurse's uniforms seem to be made only in right-handed versions
- Jacket zippers, for men and ladies, is there something "handed" about zips that is not obvious? Linda has such a problem that she ends up going around in winter with her coat undone!
Belts - most are designed with a symmetrical fastening so it doesn't matter which way you start threading them, but some have a "directional" buckle design and can end up being upside down if you do them the wrong way. We have started a Poll on our facebook page to see which way left-handers thread their belts and will let you know the result next time- Tool belts - these are clearer and need to be designed as a mirror image so the tools can be hung on the left hip. We have found some suppliers for left handed tool belts in the USA
- Thomas says his shooting vest has patches on the front of both shoulders but only the one on the right is padded, so shooting left-handed is literally a pain!
- Jessica tells us that most "scrubs" (sterilised medical theatre clothing) are right handed and cause her lots of problems as a lefthander.
- And Barbara tells us... I recently found a lovely hair barrette with a butterfly design but when I was trying it out I quickly discovered that the clip was right handed, the butterfly was UPSIDE down. For the life of me, I could not get the barrette straight using my right hand and now it sits in a drawer. Evidently all my life (66 years) I have purchased plain barrettes where their was no upside or downside. We need left handed hair barrettes!
We are sure you have a lot more ideas on this and look forward to seeing your comments - add them below.
Comments 109
If ANYONE can tell me where I can find any, please let me know. I would buy SEVERAL sets!!
where belts have a pattern or wording they are only for right handers as when I put this style of belt on the pattern or working is upside down. I did not realise this one until I bought a belt of this style in my late teens..
handbags with motifs on one side is also irritating as well as the zip issue that has been mentioned on this site already. it means if I decide to buy a handbag with motif on one side (for the right hander) it will never be visable.
the Ipad issue has been mentioned here also. it is just so annoying when I am using the ipad. currently I have a very old phone... I doubt the new ones are left hander friendly.
I was bought a very good quality leather wallet/purse... only trouble is it is for a right hander. I am invariably turning the purse upside down to open it, trying to remove my card. I look all fingers and thumbs and again very irritating.
the list is endless really,...
I had literally not thought of the "reversed fastenings" rules in relation to coats - next year I will need to try to find my son a girl's jacket in a neutral color. So all women's clothing has forced right-handers to adapt...
[My sister was left-handed, so I was sensitized to notice it in my son. When he was 2-3 years old, he would try to copy what he was shown, thus using his right hand. He was ambidextrous enough I had to point out to his teachers that he was naturally left handed - he happened to be eating chunks of banana with his left hand at the time.]
I did at one time share a two-computer workstation with two students who were both left-handed (not always all there at the same time) - I would sometimes sit down at the computer on the left and reach for the mouse to the right and panic when it didn't respond [it was of the course the mouse on the left side of the other computer...] I sometimes prefer to use a mouse with my left hand (so I can type with my right), but the buttons must be reversed.
Response to a previous post - my son does do EVERYTHING left-first - first arm in coat, leading foot, socks on, turning around (note most left-handed gymnasts and figure skaters do their routines mirror-imaged). My (right-handers) reflex when helping him is to reach for the right first; I try to remember...
As does Ian Radburn, I play guitar right-handed, but some other tasks I cannot. Bolt-action rifles were a nuisance until I found that left-handed models now are readily available (I'm left-eye dominant, also).
I'm a lifelong resident of the Colonies (pardon any American "misspelling"). Once I had the opportunity here to drive a right-hand-drive Jeep with a manual transmission but found it quite difficult to shift left-handed — again, probably because I've adapted so much to shifting with my right hand.
As for the pencils, yes they are just a gimmick but they do make a point. I've seen a few righties look a bit confused when they've used my pencil, they can't figure out why the writing's upside down. Even when you tell them it's because it's a left handed pencil, they don't really get it until I take it off them and hold it "properly" :-)
Oddly enough, when I was taking fencing, I had no trouble finding fencing jackets that were left-handed or ambidextrous (zipped in the back and padded on both sides). Of course, I ordered my gear online, where left-handed gear is just a drop-down box away.
One thing that annoys the heck out of me is knife sheaths! I have several fixed-blade knives that I might carry while camping, hunting, hiking, etc. They all came with sturdy sheaths that had belt loops. All of them hang with the sharpened side of the blade forward when worn on the right hip. All. Of. Them. I need to get around to making some of my own, but I need to find the time and confidence...
Add the fact that lefty <i>children</i> are <b>graded</b> on their proficiency in grammar &/or middle schools, and I can't understand why there isn't a parental revolt, at the very least.
P.S. - And if you are looking your best and want to document it with a photograph, good luck finding a <b>CAMERA</b> that won't plummet to the ground when you are carrying in your left hand, wobble when you try to snap the picture or have a camcorder viewing screen on the right side.
I did fencing a number of years ago and was able to buy a second hand jacket glove,and lame competition jacket. All of which were left handed. You would probably need to special order from a specialist vendor.
As to belts and zips, I've never had a problem with those (or at least if I found a zip awkward I just assumed it WAS awkward - my partner struggles with zips too and he's right-handed). I thread my belt the same way as the trousers are fastened, i.e. if they button right over left that's how my belt goes, I've always thought it looks neater that way. I've always worn plain belts so it doesn't matter which way up they are.
Handbags I always carry on my left shoulder, they don't feel comfy on my right shoulder.
I bought a purse/wallet in a sale a few weeks ago - there were loads of them, all half price. I'm a bit fussy about purses, but this one seemed perfect, although I couldn't quite figure out why - until my partner wanted to borrow a trolley token, opened my purse and everything fell out because, according to him, the whole thing was made upside down. It's a left-handed purse! I don't know whether it was made that way on purpose, or whether they were all put together wrong, but I had a good giggle thinking about all the Righties with these purses, struggling every time they use them, like we usually have to :-)
Also handbags either the strap is designed for right hander or the zip is the wrong way or the phone slot. Belts buckle on right thread through on left
Scilla
Tops, jackets etc, left arm in first
Trousers, jeans etc, left leg first
Put my left sock on first, same with shoes
Wear my watch on my left wrist
Wear my handbag on left shoulder
Do my left eye first when applying makeup (guess my natural hand closer lol)
Got ear pierced at top on left ear first n right couple yrs later
Got nose pierced on left side (was easier to put minute stud in without crossing my face so to speak)
First tattoo was on my left shoulder blade
Paint my left toenails and finger nails first
Apply perfume, moisturiser etc to left hand side first
The rings on my left hand are prettier than my right hand. Prettier ones ALWAYS go on my left hand
I know most people would say that I'm displaying I'm more right handed, it's not that. I physically think my left side deserves things first!!!! (I'll pick up my straight jacket on the way out lol)
I play ping pong left-handed and tennis (when I used to play.)
I do work a mouse on the computer with my right hand, however. My son told me I should learn to do it that way.
On LH Day I had a compllete LH team at my bedside. I am very lucky to be LH because it is the only limb in working order!
Most nurses have their hair done up in a bun, keeping a selection of pens pushed into it, but tunic pockets seem to be RH.
I have never had a problem with putting on my bra though - would love to hear the explanation for that!!!
Carolyn: It's not just right-handed bolts and ejection patterns. I'm left-eyed, and aligning the sights is not fun.
Fencing and similar activities: I'll take the lefty's advantage, but if you don't know if you'd like a sport such as golf or archery, the expense of getting left-handed equipment to learn with may prevent you from even starting.
Pockets: Agreed
Belts: I don't see the issue. Dressing properly requires the belt to be threaded from left to right. Period.
Computer mice: I realized early on that I'd be using other's computers often, so I learned to use the mouse right-handed. I can adjust to using a left-handed mouse. But laptops and tablets seem to have eliminated, or changed, the problem.
Luckily, left handed fencers (at least in my class) were at a distinct advantage. The righties didn't know what to do when they came up against me, since the target area was on the opposite side. I, however, fenced only against right handers, so I did pretty well in the class.
My fencing club at university has lots of kit for members to borrow, and though you have to hunt for left handed items sometimes, there are fewer people wearing it so often you're the only one to use it and can almost consider it 'yours'!
Yes, I think we are more adaptable just as, in general terms, we are more creative.
This means that the zip does up the wrong way for a leftie in that it's at the back of the bag. Then inside, the phone pocket is harder to get to when you've got the bag on your right shoulder and any zipped compartments go the wrong way too.
It would be easier if the bag didn't have a front or back but most bags have something on them to mean that if you wear it on your right shoulder, it's the back of the bag that's visible rather than the front.
When I was trying it out I quickly discovered that the clip was right handed, the butterfly was UPSIDE down. For the life of me, I could not get the barrette straight using my right hand. Needless to say the beautiful silver butterfly sits in a drawer. Evidently all my life (66 years) I have purchased plain barrettes where their was no upside or downside.
We need left handed hair barrettes!!!!!!
I suppose I (being a seamstress) could unpick them and re-stitch on the right side, but why don't they -Alexandra Fabrics- make them to suit lefties as well?
coin pocket
phone pocket
comb pocket
ticket pockets, especially those within main pockets
i have this thing with envelopes too...always upside down..
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