My Second Trouser (Pants) Wearing Anniversary

 

This week will be the second anniversary of the day I first wore trousers! It does not seem that long - time seems to go by so quickly these days.

As it was my venture into trouser wearing that started my blogging career (hence the name of my blog in case you hadn't guessed), I thought that it would be good to give a brief resume of my thoughts and an update on the subject.

 

I grew up in a Christian environment where we attended Church each Sunday. My family were not overly religious but my mother always wore skirts and dresses and I followed suit. A number of other girls in my school who became my best friends also always wore skirts and dresses.

 

The topic first came up after our new minister told us that it was acceptable for women to wear trousers provided that were specifically made for the female body. He did not believe women's trousers contravened the teachings of Deuteronomy 22.5 "that woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man...." as they were not men's clothing. In fact his wife frequently wore trousers.

In October 2013, one of my two closest friends announced that she had been considering buying a pair of trousers. My other friend and I were somewhat surprised as we had not given the subject that much thought. I had never really had any strong desire to wear trousers but did not have any objection to women who did. I was simply content wearing my skirts.

I was, however, surprised how smart my friend looked in trousers and that started to sew the thought in my mind of wondering whether I should follow suit.

 

Lisa my other friend who was a skirts/dresses only wearer shortly afterwards bought a pair of grey trousers. I didn't realise that she wore jeans for a while when she was away at Uni so it was not such a big step for her.  I could not deny that trousers suited her.

I discussed the issue at length with my husband and he told me that it was my decision. He did not mind if I wanted to wear trousers and he would support whichever conclusion I came to.

Lisa knew I was considering trousers and knew that I was having real difficulty in making a decision. She invited me around for coffee on a day when I didn't have to go into the office. We are about the same size in clothes and she suggested that I try on her trousers to see how they felt and so that I could see what I looked like in them. I, at first, laughed at the suggestion but Lisa knew how the matter was troubling me and eventually persuaded me to change in her bathroom. I knew that she would not take no for an answer and felt that it would be better than trying on trousers for the first time in a shop changing room!

Lisa's trousers fitted me quite well but they did feel really strange. My legs felt strange when I walked encased in material and there was a different sensation with tighter material around my bottom. Lisa took some photos to mark the momentous occasion and also to let me judge on how appropriate my possible new look might be.

 

My first ever time in trousers

Lisa convinced me that I should buy a pair of trousers and offered to come with me to the local shopping centre. I knew that I wanted black trousers suitable for wearing to the office and that they should be fairly modest in style to accord with my normal choice of clothing.

 

We spent nearly an hour searching what seemed endless rails of ladies trousers and me disappearing into changing rooms. Eventually, I discovered a pair in Marks & Spencers which fitted well, were a modest cut and very comfortable. They were not the cheapest but were good quality and I felt happy with them. I was really excited when I left the shop clutching the green carrier - I had my own trousers! I felt like a child at Christmas rather than a grown women in her 30s.

 

I tried them on again at home and kept looking at myself in the mirror. I kept on doing a double take - I was wearing trousers! I wondered what the reaction would be when my husband and children first saw me. The children just exclaimed "Wow!" and were left with their mouths open and then said "you look like all the other mums now" My husband thought that I looked great and wondered why I had not bought some trousers sooner.

 The first trousers of my own

 I still had reservations at wearing them in public. I was conscious at strangers being able to look at my crotch area and at my bottom. I am sure that it was due to my Christian upbringing. I concluded that it would be best to wear a long shirt or tunic to conceal those more delicate areas at least at first until I got used to wearing them in public.

My first appearance in trousers in the office resulted in more gasps of astonishment and cries of "but you don't do trousers!" I was pleased that I was now like the other girls in trousers but it still felt odd with material encasing my legs after a lifetime of skirts!

 

Maintaining modesty

I still maintain my modesty standards of wearing a tunic, jacket or other long top to prevent views of my rear or crotch when wearing trousers in public. I feel this is important to me and is due to my strong Christian faith. I do relax this standard when in the privacy of my home.

 

Do I feel that it is wrong for Christian women to wear trousers? I maybe used to but after a lot of careful thought and prayer I changed my views on this subject. All of my trousers are specifically designed for women and therefore cannot be regarded as men's apparel and none of them are so tight as to reveal the female form - especially with the addition of my own modesty standards.

Do I wear trousers regularly? Not really. During the late spring through to early autumn I reverted to skirts and dresses only - and in fact persuaded some of my younger work colleagues who rarely wore skirts or dresses to try them out and they were pleasantly surprised at how good they looked and how comfortable they were in warmer weather. I have recently started to wear trousers to work once more as the winter storms have arrived in the UK.

I still don't own any jeans as I am not happy with the image. I do need some more casual trousers and have been considering buying some corduroys for the winter.

If there are any skirts/dresses only people out there who are thinking of experimenting with trousers like I did two years ago, I would recommend that they give them a try. They might take some getting used to and you may feel a little self conscious wearing them at first but they are very comfortable, versatile and warmer in winter conditions.

I know that this is a controversial topic with some of you but I would welcome comments