Men and women: a history of costume, gender, and power

Pants symbolize power — partly because men wore them long before women dared try them on, and men have historically held power.

But pants empower in practical ways, too. Like allowing much more freedom to move.

Once upon a time, women wore heavy skirts and petticoats that were bogged down with wire machinery. So stair climbing required care to prevent tripping over skirts. Even sitting could be tricky, lest a hoop skirt rise and reveal all.

Big skirts meant horses were mounted “side saddle,” allowing women to exert only “gentle control.”

Meanwhile, running and biking were difficult, which limited a woman’s power and independence, as well. Read the rest of this entry →