Fact #2: Women Were BANNED from Wearing Pants in Congress Until the 90's

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Did you know that Congress didn’t allow women to wear pants in Congress until the 90s?

The first woman to break tradition was Republican Representative Charlotte T. Reid, who walked into the House wearing a black wool, bell-bottomed pantsuit. It was rather jarring -with one congressman telling Rep. Reid, “I was told there was a lady here in trousers, so I had to come over and see for myself.” She says all the men she talked to were complimentary of her choice. Minority Leader Gerald Ford even told her she should wear them more often.

It wasn’t until the 70’s that government agencies, like the State Department and the Pentagon, allowed women to wear pants. F.B.I. Director J. Edgar Hoover hated pants so much it wasn’t until he died in 1972 that women were allowed to wear britches.

The Senate was more of an uphill battle. While there was no written rule against wearing pants, Senate doorkeepers were allowed to turn away anyone that was deemed inappropriate. Hence, a de-facto pants ban for women.

Democratic Senator Carol Moseley-Braun was the first woman to challenge that unwritten rule. She says when she strutted into the chamber in 1993 that “the gasps were audible.” A short time later, the Senate got their first female Sergeant of Arms who adopted written rules allowing women to wear pants.
And of course, we couldn't have a discussion of pantsuits without mentioning HIllary Clinton. In fact, she was the first and only First Lady to wear pants in her official White House portrait.

Now that you know where we’ve been, find out where we're going. Tune into Ladies Love Politics where you can stay informed without going insane.

REFERENCES:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/update-first-woman-to-wear-pants-on-house-floor-rep-charlotte-reid/2011/12/21/gIQAVLD99O_blog.html
https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/02/women-wearing-pants-are-still-controversial.html
https://didyouknowfacts.com/the-woman-who-finally-wore-pants-onto-the-senate-floor-in-1993/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/93384/why-women-couldnt-wear-pants-senate-floor-until-1993