WHEN I GREW UP AND UNTIL ABOUT THE TIME I WAS MARRIED....WOMEN DID
NOT WEAR PANTS!
BEFORE THE MIDDLE OF THE 1900'S WOMEN WERE TECHNICALLY NOT
ALLOWED TO WEAR PANTS BECAUSE IT WAS A MASCULINE ITEM AND THEY
WERE LOOKED DOWN UPON IF THEY EVERY TRIED TO WEAR THEM! IT
WASN'T UNTIL AROUND THE TIME OF WORLD WAR II THAT WOMEN BEGAN
WEARING TROUSERS. EVEN THEN IT WAS NOT WIDELY ACCEPTED.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HELPED BRING ON A CHANGE IN ATTIRE WAS
THAT DURING WORLD WAR II WHILE THE MEN WERE FIGHTING THE WAR IN
EUROPE, THE WOMEN WERE PRODUCING THE STUFF NEEDED FOR THE WAR.
DRESSES AND SKIRTS DID NOT OFFER ENOUGH PROTECTION FOR THE WOMEN
WORKING IN FACTORIES AND WOMEN BEGAN WEARING PANTS AT WORK. IT
MADE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO MOVE AROUND AND DO THEIR JOBS. BUT EVEN
THEN PANTS WERE ONLY ACCEPTABLE IN THE WORKPLACE!
AFTER THE WAR THINGS WENT BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE.
LADIES WERE EXPECTED TO WEAR DRESSES AT ALL TIMES
IN THE 1960'S FEMINIST MOVEMENTS BEGAN AND THEY CAUSED THE
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT TO BE PASSED! SINCE EVERYONE WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE EQUAL IT FINALLY BECAME ACCEPTABLE FOR WOMEN TO
WEAR PANTS IN PUBLIC!
IN 1961 AUDREY HEPBURN WORE PANTS IN A MOVIE CALLED
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S. IT WAS A VERY DARING
THING TO DO AT THAT TIME! SEEING HER IN THAT PICTURE
WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT INFLUENCED WOMEN TO DECIDE TO
START WEARING PANTS AS A REGULAR PART OF THEIR ATTIRE!
IN THE 1960'S A DESIGNER NAMED ANDRE COURREGES STARTED TO
MAKE JEANS FOR WOMEN.
SOME OTHER INTERESTING THINGS IN THE TIME LINE...
IN 1969 REP. CHARLOTTE READ (R-ILL.)BECAME THE FIST WOMAN TO WEAR
PANTS IN THE U.S. CONGRESS!
IN 1989 CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR, REBECCA MORGAN,
WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO WEAR PANTS IN A U.S. STATE SENATE!
WELL....PARDON ME WHILE I GO GET DRESSED AND PUT ON MY PANTS!
This is really incredible and why I love your blog so much. I had completely forgotten how shocking it was when women started wearing pants. Now that you reminded me, I can remember in the 1950s what it was like...it was something almost scandalous to see a woman wearing pants, not really appropriate. Amazing to think about! You forget how much has changed in such a short time. By the way, I hate to say this, but the Equal Rights Amendment never actually passed. I think they are trying to reintroduce it again, but there is still a lot of opposition to it. Anyway, thanks for the great posting today.
Posted by: Hope | 08/28/2013 at 05:35 AM
Glad I reminded you about the no-pants era! Sorry I made that booboo about the Equal Rights Amendment!! I guess it was just wishful thinking!
Posted by: Frieda | 08/28/2013 at 07:38 AM
Hello Frieda,
I've been reading your posts for a while and love your blog.
This post has reminded me how slow things changed. When I started work in a professional services firm, it was actually forbidden for women to wear trousers to work and this was in 1990! Now in 2013 it is more unusual to see girls in a skirt on a day to day basis. Today "business casual" is the mode of dress in professional offices and my colleagues are so young (early 20s) so have no idea how difficult things were even when I was their age, let alone before this. Thank you so much for this reminder of where we have got to. Take care. Mary X
Posted by: PansyandRobin | 08/31/2013 at 12:49 PM
Thanks a million for your comments. Glad to have you as a blog friend.
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Posted by: reconquistar | 11/26/2013 at 10:46 AM
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Posted by: Stephanie | 02/24/2014 at 07:48 PM