Do you ever wonder why we gentleman do the things we do？ In some cases， understanding where our cultural norms come from can give us a renewed appreciation for them. In other cases， it just makes for fun trivia1）. Either way， we hope you'll find these historical tidbits2） as interesting as we do.

你曾好奇过为什么我们绅士会有我们特有的做派吗？有时，了解我们的文化规范起源于何处能让我们从新的角度欣赏它们。而在其他时候，这正好可以成为有趣的小知识。无论怎样，我们希望你会像我们一样觉得这些历史趣闻有意思。

Why do we escort3） women on our left arm？

When a man escorts his partner， tradition has it that he offers his left arm. This tradition originates from medieval times when men escorted women around town and through the fields. Should a threat arise or the woman's honor require defending， the man's sword hand （his right hand） would be free， giving him quick and easy access to his sword， worn on his left side.

To this day， the left arm rule still applies while indoors. However， with the rise of wheeled vehicles and non-pedestrian streets， the proper escorting etiquette4） evolved over the years for outdoor environments. Today， when escorting a women outdoors， you should position yourself on the outside （closest to the street） to protect her from traffic， mud splashing， etc.

为什么我们用左臂护送女伴？

当一位男士护送他的女伴时，按照传统，他要伸出左臂。这一传统起源于中世纪，那时女士在镇上四处走动或在田野中穿行时会有男士护送。万一有危险发生或者需要维护女伴的荣誉，男士惯于用剑的手（他的右手）将是空闲的状态，这样就能让他立马轻松抽出佩戴在身体左侧的剑了。

直到今天，用左臂护送女伴的规则在室内仍然被沿用。但是，随着有轮交通工具和非步行街的兴起，户外环境下护送女伴的适宜的礼仪这几年也有所演变。如今，在室外偕女伴而行时，你应该让自己处于外侧（离街道最近），以便保护她与来往的车辆和四溅的泥水等隔开。

Why are the bottom buttons of our suit jackets

and blazers5） never to be fastened？

This fashion guideline is typically attributed to King Edward VII， the British monarch from 1901 until his death in 1910. Quite the gourmand6）， King Edward loved his food so much that the royal tailors often had trouble keeping up with his ballooning figure. One day， seeking reprieve7） from the confining constriction of his waistcoat8）， King Edward casually unbuttoned the bottom button. At that time， the King set the fashion trends and when members of his court saw his new look， they quickly emulated9） it. The fad10） spread like wildfire and within weeks unbuttoned bottom buttons were found everywhere.

We continue to honor the memory of Edward the Wide to this day. Modern suit jackets and blazers are actually designed to cutaway at the hips with the bottom button left undone. Buttoning it results in unsightly11） pulling and bunching of fabric12） at the waist and disapproving looks from your fellow gentlemen.

为什么我们的西装外套和轻便夹克最下面的

那颗扣子从来不扣？

这一时尚指南通常要归功于英王爱德华七世（在位时间从1901年到1910年去世为止）。爱德华国王是个十足的美食家，他对食物非同一般的喜爱让皇家御用裁缝做衣服的速度经常难以赶上他不断发福的身材。一天，为了从马甲过紧的束缚中求得放松，爱德华国王随意地解开了最下面的那颗扣子。在那个年代，国王就是流行风尚的发起者，当一些朝臣看到国王的新装扮，他们便迫不及待地开始模仿。……