How did she get away with it?

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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.