Prax--flies and hip pockets--yup, definitely men's apparel in some view points. Even in a skirt. I've said it before, but I used to bring gently worn boys' jeans to some of the families in my former church. Most would inspect them closely and ask if they were boys' or girls'. The style wasn't "girly" and their son might have had a similar pair at home, but they were still concerned that their sons not wear "girls' jeans"... while at the same time they preached that there was no such thing as "girl's pants" because pants were a man's style.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
...Women started wearing pants, from what I understand, when they went into the work force, not because they were loose but because their husbands were off to war
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There were girls in the depression that wore their brothers' hand-me-downs. There was no debate at that time in churches over whether that was acceptable.
Also, women were in the workforce long before 1900.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aegsm76
Let me turn this discussion a little bit.
I think we can all agree that a some point all churches and basically all society were against women wearing pants.
The general societal observation was that women wore dresses.
When women began wearing pants, it was the more bold, out-going, in your face women who did so.
Thus, these women were perceived as "loose" and churches preached "against" them and pants.
Now, here is what I am really asking, at what point did it become acceptable for women to wear pants and therefore accepted by churches?
Thoughts?
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Bloomers were introduced in the 1850s and were ridiculed by the press, not the church.
http://www.fashion-era.com/rational_dress.htm Please read past the title or the first paragraph--reformists didn't want to "be like men" by wearing bloomers or women's trousers. They wanted less restrictive dress, safety, and less than 7 pounds of underwear!!! Keep in mind that there was one point in the 1800s when a woman going to a dance, even on the frontier, could wear up to 22 pieces of clothing, counting each glove or shoe separately, I'm sure--still, 2-3 petticoats, an underskirt (decorative petticoat), overskirt, shawl, bonnet, bodice, chemise, stockings, shoes, gloves, corset, pockets (a separate item), and either an apron, crinoline, or bustle... upper class women carried smelling salts with them because fainting spells were common, and "fainting couches" (chaises or lounges) were a common piece of furniture for a
reason. THAT's why women's rights activists and reformists pressed for bloomers or trousers, not to blend the sexes.
An interesting side note: it was these same activists who advocated for prohibition, a concept still strongly upheld in the same churches that put them down for introducing pants!
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