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In Paris, France, the answer would be yes.
In 1800, a Paris police chief introduced a rule banning women from dressing like men—namely by wearing pants instead of skirts and dresses. This idea is not that foreign. The Biblical Old Testament speaks of it being wrong for women to dress like men such that you cannot tell the difference, so 1800 France would have been under the influence of those types of ideas.
What’s so amusing is that the law is technically still in effect!
Old Laws on the Books
Paris isn’t the only city or country to have old laws on the books there are websites that chronicle old laws—like where to put lanterns on your buggy and how late people can be out at night. Usually they don’t see much daylight, and they’re not enforced.
In this case, people have tried to remove the rule multiple times—each time resulting in a weakening of the rule1, but not a removal.
The latest attempt to remove the outmoded rule was in 2003, when a Right-wing MP from President Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP party wrote to the minister in charge of gender equality. The minister’s response was: “Disuse is sometimes more efficient than (state) intervention in adapting the law to changing mores.”
As Evelyne Pisier, a law professor whose book Le Droit des Femmes (The Rights of Women) unearthed the curious decree points out, given that trousers are compulsory for Parisian policewoman, they are all breaking the law.
Personally, I believe that women look more feminine in skirts and dresses, but I have no problem with them wearing properly fitting pants.
What do you think about women wearing pants and old laws? What would be the best way to address this issue?
- If they’re riding a horse, bicycle, etc… [↩]
I love wearing skirts, but I certainly do wear pants more often, and I don’t really see a biblical issue with it, mainly because my pants are MADE for women. I don’t know where in the bible it says specifically men and only men own the rights to pants – it simply says not to dress in clothes made for the other gender. And if you can imagine how silly a man would look in women’s pants, then I think you can safely say that those types of pants were not made for men. Just my theory.
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..To tide you over =-.
Maybe just maybe God knows something we dont and he set forth rules and regulations because they were/are necessary beyond what we can comprehend. now we have to ask ourselves if God said it does that settle it? or do we have a rebellious human/fallen nature that likes to think we can/should put our input into things that are in black and white (scripture). as a man i can understand why women should not wear pants. most womens pants these days are very tight fitting and leave very little to the imagination. men are drawn in with their eyes and if everything is covered up loosely then it is less of a temptation. women should want to help out all men and not be the food to feed the devil. if you starve something it dies. if lust is not fed by the imagination it will die. this issue goes way deeper than “I want” to wear pants. its not about you or me, its about God and what he has said! will you listen and obey.
Interesting facts about those old laws. I wonder what other unenforced old laws exist around the world ?
Of course it isn’t wrong for Women to wear pants. The thing is, as you say, women look much more attractive and feminine in a nice dress. Some well fitted pants however can also be very attractive
.-= Womens Sundresses´s last blog ..Plus Size Maxi Dress =-.
I don’t think there are many people who have a problem with women wearing pants, I know I don’t. It’s just they normally look much better in a dress or skirt.
I heard there is still an old law in England that you can be executed for Arson on one of the Navy’s ships.
.-= Sandals for Women´s last blog ..Women’s Sandals =-.
I do agree with Doug that you need to understand the theory behind that law instead of questioning it’s wording.Order and laws can be changed provided that the wisdom remain intact.Women can wear pants if she wears it in a proper way instead of compromising on her modesty.
The wrangle over this issue demonstrates that our Bible-influenced society still hasn’t really settled this issue.
In the Bible the only mention of pants/trousers is the knee-length shorts priests were required to wear when attending the temple. Exodus 39:1-7.
Men generally wore loincloths when working. They might wear such under their tunics (a sort of long shirt) and robes or coats.
Both genders wore what would appear to us today as similar skirted garments. From what is known, women’s skirts were longer than men’s.
You can look up pictures of paintings and pottery that shows how people dressed in ancient times.
In modern times, first came women wearing underpants. One source says “1763” in Paris, and others cite somewhat earlier entrance of underpants from Italy.
As underpants became more common, they grew longer, eventually turning into pantalets and similar. The popularization of the bicycle was the real pants-on-women explosion, when pants as outerwear began to become more common. Amelia Bloomer’s name went to a “short” (midi-length) skirt over long loose “Turkish” trousers for modesty but freedom when bicycle-riding.
The early women’s underpants and “bloomers” were “open bottom,” that is, they had no inseam. They were open so a woman didn’t have to strip to attend to toilet. Not at all like today’s risque crotchless panties, they had lots of loose cloth in the crotch. Even if a woman took a tumble on her bike, it was unlikely anyone would get a glance at her privates.
The last open bottom listing in Sears’ catalog was in the mid-1920s. Now such is offered only in reenactment catalogs.
With the closed bottom, the former restraint on skirt hem height disappeared. Finally came the mini skirt, then no skirt at all, trousers only. Now everywhere one goes (s)he is confronted with women’s “camel toe.”
If they would only wear baggy trousers this wouldn’t be the case but even women’s pants that have loose, flowing leg sleeves are usually tight in the crotch, leaving little to nothing to the imagination.
Who has the right to say what is right and wrong about wearing pants ? I think everyone should decide for themselves.
Of course we need to take into account local society I mean men wear skirts (kilts) in scotland. I’m not scottish and I would feel REALLY uncomfortable in a kilt, but of course for them it’s totally masculine.
I have no problem with women wearing pants, however they just look SO much better in a dress.
.-= Sundresses for Women´s last blog ..Sundresses for Women =-.