Question
No short shorts, no crop tops, no leggings. In some school dress codes in the U.S., the list of restrictions goes on and on. Some people say bans like these are unfair because they don't affect all students equally. They target clothing most often worn by girls. But strict rules about female clothing are nothing new. Over the centuries, there's been controversy about what women should and shouldn't wear. And one type of garment has been especially disputed.
Although it's now common in most Americans' wardrobes, women had to fight for the privilege of wearing pants. 1700s and 1800s:
Hoopskirts and Bloomers
In the 18th and 19th centuries, women in the U.S. were denied some basic rights. For example, they couldn't vote, and most were blocked from owning property. And putting on pants wasn't just a blunder in feminine fashion. In many places it was against the law.
Women therefore had to fight for equality hindered by long dresses or skirts.
(And do daily chores, as well.) These garments were often layered over heavy petticoats or hoopskirts.
Such fashion made it difficult to sit down or squeeze through doorways. By the 1850s, some women believed it was time to change their clothes.
Amelia Bloomer was one of several women's rights activists who tried out
"Turkish trousers." These loose pants were gathered at the waist and ankles.
After she praised them in her feminist newspaper, they became known as bloomers. Adventuresses eagerly adopted this garment for active pastimes like cycling.
However, they were ridiculed, shamed, and even jailed. This harsh condemnation quickly put the brakes on the
freewheeling fashion trend.
1900s: Trendsetters and
Go-Getters During the 20th century, the march toward equal rights for women advanced…..and so did the popularity of pants. That progress, however, was achieved one slow step at a time. In the 1920s, some women sported pants for athletics and leisure. A few trendsetters even wore slacks in more formal situations in the 1930s.
Then, in the 1940s, many
American men left to serve in World War II. Millions of women took their place doing manufacturing jobs.
They tread factory floors in rugged trousers or coveralls. But day-to-day dress codes were still strict in the 1950s. Women were required to wear dresses or skirts in many workplaces and nearly all schools.
Then a big shift began in the 1960s. Many young women shrugged off older generations' buttoned-up, formal fashions, preferring casual, comfortable clothes like blue jeans. At the same time, the women's movement was gathering strength. It impacted Americans' wardrobes as well as their worldview. Trousers had long been linked with people in positions of authority. Now they were seen as symbols of power.
Donning them became a declaration of independence for many women. They signaled that women were well suited for professional careers and leadership roles.
2000s: Classrooms to Red
Carpets
Today, in the U.S., parts are considered proper attire for almost anyone. They are worn most anywhere from classrooms and corporate offices to celebrity galas. Whethe they're solving math problems in school marching for equal forts or walking the red carpet
Americans have the chance to wear pants.
The article talks mainly about
A. why women chose to wear pants during the
1920s
B. how women fought for years for the right to
wear pants
C. why women took manufacturing jobs in the
1940s
D. how women today dress for school and for
the workplace
Answer
B. how women fought for years for the right to wear pants.