How did she get away with it?
By Fleur
@Fleura (29126)
United Kingdom
April 28, 2022 3:25am CST
My friend Helen, who died a few weeks ago, had some particular quirks, and one of those which everyone remembers is that she never wore trousers.
Now of course if she had lived a hundred years ago that wouldn’t have been remarkable at all, it wasn’t socially acceptable for women to wear trousers!
But nowadays, at least in this country, women tend to wear trousers a lot of the time. If you look around at the school gates, in the supermarket or the office, you may well find that the majority of women are wearing trousers. Skirts tend to be reserved for more formal occasions or for smart workwear, and dresses for hot summer weather or nights out.
But Helen never wore trousers under any circumstances. She always wore a longish, gathered skirt of some sort, whether she was at home, at work (she had quite a prestigious job), hiking up some rocky mountainside or on the beach on a windy winter’s day.
One of her hobbies was massage, and at one point she trained as a massage therapist. The course concluded with an exam, for which candidates were required to wear a black top and trousers. Helen simply said ‘I don’t wear trousers’ and they were forced to make an exception for her.
How did she get away with it? Most of the time, anyone wanting an exception to the rules must have some sort of special reason - a disability, religious grounds, or a medical issue, for example. But whatever the circumstances Helen simply stated her position with a smile and got away with it.
She also never explained herself. None of us ever knew why she didn’t wear trousers - if asked she would simply say ‘I just don’t wear them’. Now of course we will never know.
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2022.
21 people like this
21 responses
@crossbones27 (48417)
• Mojave, California
28 Apr 22
You know what I learned in this life outside southern States of US . Maybe a tiny few in states that are not those but not many at all. People very cool and supportive if you explain why you do what you do. They may not agree and as long as they not being dangerous, or effect their lives they will back your way to live.
They will say she just does not like to wear trousers and we cool with that.
2 people like this
@LeaPea2417 (36433)
• Toccoa, Georgia
28 Apr 22
That's very interesting. Up until the 3rd grade, I only wore dresses to school, but then most young girls did in the early 1970s.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36433)
• Toccoa, Georgia
30 Apr 22
@Fleura My Mother used to sew clothes for herself and my sister and I when we were really little.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29126)
• United Kingdom
30 Apr 22
@LeaPea2417 I used to make quite a lot of my own clothes too, when I was younger and it was cheaper to make interesting clothes than to buy them. It still is I guess, but I don't wear such interesting clothes these days!
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34348)
•
30 Apr 22
Maybe Helen thought trousers were confining. Or she just didn't like the way they looked on her. Which makes me wonder, did Helen wear a bathing suit if she went to the beach in summer?
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29126)
• United Kingdom
30 Apr 22
I have no idea. So many questions.... I don't even know whether she could swim, though I suppose she must have learnt at some point, I think all schools teach at least some basic swimming. But I certainly never saw her wearing anything like a swimsuit and when she went to the beach she just paddled at the edge of the sea, in her skirt.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34348)
•
1 May 22
@Fleura Overkill on the questions, huh Oh well, I guess it was Helen's secret to keep.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157545)
• United States
29 Apr 22
Do you think she ever would have told anyone?
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45484)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
28 Apr 22
Maybe they made her ars look big...
(Had to leave off the e)
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45484)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 May 22
@Fleura Well then, maybe she thought it made it look big.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
29 Apr 22
Hiking wearing a long skirt I doubt she was comfortable doing that
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (95104)
• Marion, Ohio
28 Apr 22
As she never wore them they had to believe that.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79699)
• United States
28 Apr 22
Not wearing trousers is a little weird in this day and age but your friend Helen wasn't the only one. I have a friend who never wears trousers either. She wears a skirt or dress for everything and she told me one day she doesn't even own one pair of trousers and doesn't ever intend to. Maybe there are more people out there who are more like your friend Helen than we know
1 person likes this
@58lordstreet (1669)
•
30 Apr 22
Maybe she didnt want to look like a man , mind you I still used to get mistaken for a girl in trousers lol until I was about 23
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
28 Apr 22
She must be too convincing that she was given a special treatment not to wear trousers.
1 person likes this
@averygirl72 (37716)
• Philippines
28 Apr 22
Trousers or pants? That is intriguing. She is so feminine for wearing skirts all the time
1 person likes this