The Hanging Loop On The Back Of Shirts Actually Serves A Useful Function

Last Updated on 2022-09-28 , 2:47 pm

Did you know that the back of shirts for men probably has a hanging loop?

Yup. For the observant ones, you might’ve noticed the tiny loop of cloth above the pleat of your button-down shirt.

Most of us probably never really cared about it, nor wondered what function it serves, but you would be surprised to know that it actually isn’t useless!

Why Is It On The Back Of Shirts?

It’s actually like a built-in hanger.

You’re supposed to slip the loop over a hook and voilà—you’ve just eliminated the need for a hanger! Surprising, isn’t it?

Turns out this function actually dates back to around the 1960s, when the trend was inspired by sailors hanging their shirts on the ship hooks. This caught on in popularity particularly because it allowed for guys to hang their shirts in small areas, and the loop has been around ever since, more than fifty years later!

In the past, it also represented a few rather interesting social indications. For instance, some guys would cut off the loops to indicate that they already had girlfriends. Seems pretty odd but it’s also rather fascinating that it held such significance last time, but now we barely pay attention to it.

Becoming Wrinkly If You Hang It Via The Back Of Shirts

Nowadays, we usually hang shirts using a typical wire hanger to stop it from becoming crumpled, and perhaps that’s why this function has fallen out of fashion.

Anyway, most of us have spacious cupboard and plenty of space to hang many shirts, unlike the space constraints people might have faced in the past

Additionally, we might have the impression that simply hanging a shirt on a hook might cause it to develop wrinkles especially since it folds over on itself, but it probably won’t be too obvious since the shirt can still hang freely.

This method of hanging your shirts would be extremely useful if you wore it for just a short while and want to recycle it for the next day, but don’t want to go through the hassle of putting it on a hanger.

Just chuck it onto a hook in your room or toilet and it should be good to go when you need it again!

Featured Image: YouTube