Trousers as women's clothing

Trousers (or pants in American English) are a staple of historical and modern fashion. Throughout history, the role of trousers for women has been in constant change. The first appearance of trousers in recorded history was among steppe-people in Western Europe, who were nomads of various different ethnic groups living in the Eurasian grasslands. Archaeological evidence suggests that men and women alike wore trousers in that cultural context.

However, for much of modern history, the use of trousers was restricted to men. This norm was enforced in many regions via social customs and laws. There are, however, many historical cases of women wearing trousers in defiance of these norms, such as the 1850s women's rights movement. Motivations for women wearing trousers against societal norms included comfort, freedom of movement, fashion, disguise (notably for runaway slaves), attempts to evade the gender pay gap, and attempts to establish an empowered public identity for women. Especially in the 20th and 21st centuries, the customs and laws restricting this manner of dress relaxed dramatically, reflecting a growing acceptance and normalisation of the practice.

The teaching of Orthodox Jews and some Christian denominations, such as Conservative Anabaptists and the Methodists of the conservative holiness movement, continue to enjoin women to wear full-length dresses, rather than trousers, in order to maintain what they see as a distinction in the sexes.