Fashion History; Evolution of the Trouser.

 

Trousers were associated with masculinity all the way up until the 1940s, where they finally became normalized for women. With World Wars 1 and 2 being the preface for a gender revolution in terms of fashion and politics. Back in World War 1, women first began taking on masculine gender roles with the demand for weapons and male dominated jobs up for availability, as men were sent to fight. This meant it was seen as impractical for women to have long hems and corsets, with fabric demands meaning trousers were not only more suitable but cheaper and easier to make. Therefore. women got their first taste of wearing trousers and not being ostracized for it like before. However, after WW1, the movement died down with the roaring 20s coming in to full swing, and women choosing to liberate themselves in other ways such as wearing short, flappy skirts and picking up masculine habits such as smoking. 

Yet, it didn't stop there. Women found themselves taking on a mans place again and going out to work in factories, farms and mines to compensate for the lack of men, thanks to WW2. Trousers for women were back in fashion, though only out of practicality and not modernity. 

Propaganda was frequently used in the 40s, to inspire women to take on male norms and for the first time in history for England, women were depicted as strong and encouraged to gain muscle and not be seen as overly feminine. Rosie the Riveter is the most famous example of this, and how propaganda was used to motivate women and to claim back power.  

Therefore, women wearing trousers was born out of wars between men, who for once had greater things to worry about than seeing the shape of a woman's legs through her clothes. 

From then on, womens trousers constantly evolved, with over 20 different styles ranging from flare to skinny fit and made from a variety of fabrics and patterns. No longer are they seen as a staple from only a mans wardrobe. 

Resource- https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-clothes-rationing-affected-fashion-in-the-second-world-war

iwm. com is an established website for the Imperial War Museum, hence why it is reliable as it fact checks against evidence gathered in the museum itself.