Although ladies have been wearing long pants since the 1920s the
pant suit was the first outfit that crossed over into evening wear.
When designers introduced, gulp, a jacket and a
pair of trousers in the early '60s it was met with much controversy
and trepidation. Civilisation was under threat. The pant suit remained
frowned upon by the upper classes and was seen as a poor woman's
dress, with some restaurants refusing entry to anyone wearing them.
The look really took off when Cathy McGowan, star
of the 1963 TV music show Ready Steady Go, strutted her stuff in
a pant suit.
The '70s saw the pant suit break out from its lowly
position as high society saw the appeal and it became accepted for
a lady to be seen out in a pair of trousers. Phew!
