Women's Trousers

"Ask a man whether women should wear slacks and the answer is almost certain to be a firm 'No.'" How did women get to wear the trousers? Ros Taylor talks to fashion expert Belinda Naylor and Purna Sen, who wore trousers to her sixth form in 1978 – and was thrown out.

Belinda Naylor is a producer with an MA in fashion curation. Her Instagram, where you can find some of her favourite women in trousers, is @fashion_chatter.

Purna Sen is the former head of human rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat and a visiting professor at London Metropolitan University.

The extract from the Manchester Guardian in 1952 is voiced by Seth Thévoz.

The clip from The Seven Year Itch starring Marilyn Monroe is available on YouTube.

Man Alive: The Office Christmas Party (1970) is also on YouTube.

In 2002 the Guardian explained why schools could still choose whether to impose skirts. I also drew on Amy Gower's doctoral thesis, Schoolgirls, identity and agency in England: 1970-2004, University of Reading, 2021.

Lego has pictures of its early minifigures.