An epaulette on the writer's coat

You might already know that the buttons on suit sleeves have a surprisingly medical past ― once referred to as “surgeon’s cuffs,” they’ve been decorative for more of their history than they’ve been useful.

Oh, and you know those teeny-tiny pockets at the front of your jeans? I’m embarrassed to admit I grew up thinking they were for condoms ― they were, in fact, designed for pocket watches.

But what about those beautiful-but-useless flaps and fasteners on the shoulders of my trench coat?

Well, it seems those have a military (and naval) history, as well as modern-day application, that I had no idea about.

Why do coats have buttons on their shoulders?

The additions, called epaulettes, “seem to have started out as cloth straps worn on the shoulders to help keep shoulder sashes and belts in position,”

© HuffPost