According to mytho-historical accounts, the ancient Amazons wore pants while riding into battle. But the trend this tribe of warrior women set was short lived. For nearly two millennia after their demise, the notion of women wearing pants was steeped in controversy.

And while this controversy has diminished, it is by no means over. From the fuss over politician's pant suits to the unofficial dress codes which still pervade corporate America, there are indications that we've yet to move past old expectations of women's fashion. This hour we speak with historians and fashion experts about the history of women and pants.

GUESTS:


Gayle Fischer: Professor of History at Salem State University and author of Pantaloons and Power: A Nineteenth-Century Dress Reform in the United States


Kathleen Cooper: Writer whose work has appeared in The Toast, The Airship, The Washington Post, and elsewhere


Hannah Kimberley: Teacher at the Academy at Penguin Hall in Wenham, Massachusetts, and author of A Woman's Place Is at the Top: A Biography of Annie Smith Peck, Queen of the Climbers

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on September 7, 2017.

According to mytho-historical accounts, the ancient Amazons wore pants while riding into battle. But the trend this tribe of warrior women set was short lived. For nearly two millennia after their demise, the notion of women wearing pants was steeped in controversy.
And while this controversy has diminished, it is by no means over. From the fuss over politician's pant suits to the unofficial dress codes which still pervade corporate America, there are indications that we've yet to move past old expectations of women's fashion. This hour we speak with historians and fashion experts about the history of women and pants.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Gayle Fischer:&nbsp;Professor of History at Salem State University and author of&nbsp;Pantaloons and Power: A Nineteenth-Century Dress Reform in the United States
</li>
<li>
Kathleen Cooper:&nbsp;Writer whose work has appeared in The Toast, The Airship, The Washington Post, and elsewhere
</li>
<li>
Hannah Kimberley:&nbsp;Teacher at the Academy at Penguin Hall in Wenham, Massachusetts, and author of&nbsp;A Woman's Place Is at the Top: A Biography of Annie Smith Peck, Queen of the Climbers
</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to&nbsp;The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by&nbsp;The Colin McEnroe Show.
Colin McEnroe&nbsp;and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on September 7, 2017.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.