After years of being labelled the most fashion forward people in Europe, it seems Parisian women will have to take a few steps back, to a time when wearing trousers was criminal. Rosie Khdir finds out more…

A law professor named Evelyn Pisier has uncovered a decree from two centuries ago, stating that it is illegal for women in Paris to wear trousers; this decree is still technically in force today.

This law was introduced by the police in 1800 to prevent women from dressing like men. This was obviously before any significant progress had been made in the Women’s Rights Movement. Amendments to the decree have been made throughout the course of history but no formal action has been taken to remove it.

In 1892 the decree was changed so that women could wear trousers “as long as the woman is holding the reins of a horse.” Then in 1909 it was altered further to include those “on a bicycle or holding it by the handlebars.”

In 1969, in the midst of global feminism, the Paris Council asked the Police Chief to remove the decree but he refused. The last attempt to abolish the law was made in 2003 by an MP of President Sarkozy’s UMP party who wrote to a minister in charge of gender equality. The minister’s reply was that it was best to simply ignore the decree rather than adapting the law.

It is very confusing why no one is repealing this law when women have been wearing trousers for decades. What is more baffling is the fact that it is compulsory for all Parisian policewomen to wear trousers, but technically if they do, they are breaking the law. Even the First Lady of France herself, Carla Bruni, is counted as a criminal by donning a pair, along with most women in the capital no doubt.

So any of you planning on heading to Paris for your holidays, remember to go sans les pantalons!

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Image credit: _straybullet

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