Barely Legal: Parisian Pants

Up until two weeks ago, it was illegal in Paris for women to wear trousers! This long-standing law had originated from the French Revolution when one’s dress differentiated the bourgeois from the liberal revolutionaries. At that time, the popular fashion was for the aristocracy to wear culottes, or silky pantaloons that came to the knee. However, the revolutionaries, in an effort to set themselves apart, became famous for being sans-culottes and rather wore trousers. In 1799 it was ordered by the Paris police chief that “any woman wishing to wear pants must seek special permission from the police.” This law prevented many women from joining the ranks of the revolutionary army and instead were stuck at home.

Interestingly, it was revised in 1892 and 1909 by French parliament so that women could legally wear pantaloons when riding a bicycle or horse. It wasn’t until Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, France’s minster for women’s rights, repealed the law two weeks ago by stating the ordinance was “incompatible with the principles of equality between women and men that are written into the Constitution and in France’s European commitments.” 
Source: The Atlantic

images via Pinterest

Now that trousers are finally legal in Paris, here’s a 10 tips for wearing these staple wardrobe items.
1. Never EVER get pants with an elastic waist band. We aren’t talking about pajamas, people!
2. Front-pleated pants are a no-no for both women and men.
3. Make sure your trousers are fitted, not tight. No one likes seeing your panty line.
4. The bottom hem should reach between your ankle bone and 1 inch below.
5. If you are wearing skinny pants, try rolling the hem.
6. Dark colors are better for bottom-heavy figures while lighter colors are better for top-heavy figures. 7. When wearing white or light colored trousers, always keep around a Tide-To-Go pen. You’re bound to spill something on yourself!
8. There are fancy pants besides just black and grey slacks. Try out jewel toned trousers. They will make you modern and chic!
9. Don’t be afraid to get adventurous! There are some really fun prints out there this season, from floral to polka dots to geometric. Just make sure you try them on before buying and maybe consult a friend for confirmation that the print works with your body type!
10. Stick with what you know works. If your favorite pant brand is from a certain store, go try on similar pants there with different colors. Most stores now feature several styles of colored trousers so you’ll be sure they fit and look great!