Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Arrest this woman!


This woman is a dangerous outlaw, can you guess why? No, she did not rob a bank and put all the money in her purse(!), she simply wears pants and this, ladies and gentlemen, in France is forbidden! Yep. In November 1799, a law was passed saying that all women willing to "dress like a man" should first go to the Police and ask for a written permission! The sad part is that even though in 1892 et 1909 two very liberal laws allowing women to wear pants "under certain conditions" (horse or bicycle riding) were passed, it is still officially forbidden for women to "dress like a man"! Recently a few people from the Paris council asked that the law be removed, but the authorities replied that they were more urgent matters than this. Which is true, as, as you can guess, nowadays this law is no longer applied!

27 comments:

  1. This reminds me of a New Hampshire law, still on the books, that prohibits cohabitation. I worried about that law when I was young, but after 35+ years (with the same wonderful man) guess the cops aren't going to bother me.

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  2. Well I'm certainly glad. That might explain why I wasn't arrested when I visited and wore jeans all the time, ha ha. Great shot/great info..:)

    My French Blog

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  3. This is great, Eric—the women's prisons would be filled to capacity if this law were ever applied these days! :~} Hey, I wonder if mon cher YSL knew about this law when he designed his fabulous tuxedo.

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  4. Love the shot and love the commentary. You put a big grin on my face.

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  5. Hmmm. This is a topic that I don't think I need to comment on. Anything I say will offend someone . . .

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  6. ha! I have heard there is a law in America that says you can not face the back wall of an elevator while riding in one. Though, it probably is some urban legend & not true at all.
    Thanks for the laugh Eric!

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  7. I have never been more fashion-conscious than when I was in Paris. I had read all sorts of things about how I would be pegged as a tourist if I so much as wore the wrong shoes. I should have worried less about my clothes than about having a nice time, but I had a wonderful time AND I looked good in the photos!

    I confess, on some days, I dressed like a man.

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  8. he, he, I should have spent all my life in jail then ! :)

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  9. That's a funny news! Recently, I was listening to a radio game, on my way to work in my car, and that was the question to be answered : what is still forbidden in France with several propositions including this one! I wear pants very often, so please, do arrest me Eric !
    Last Friday, I wore a skirt and this was funny to see the quick, very quick, look I observed among some of my colleagues (because it is prety unusual from me to wear skirts/dresses, but I do from time to time). That's the charm of little changes in day-to-day life!

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  10. What about men dressing up like women??

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  11. ah, OK. There is a law that prohibits spitting on the sidewalk here.

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  12. I believe it is still law on the Isle of Man (an island off the west coast of England) to shoot a German if you see one as they have still not found the time to un declare war on Germany! xxxx PS Still loving my daily dose of Paris

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  13. :)
    :))
    :)))
    ... nul n'est censé ignorer la loi..., n'est-ce pas!?!

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  14. Haha, these ancient laws are a pet love of mine! Could one technically make a citizen's arrest on this charge? Pah!

    One I can recall immediately is that, in England, you can still be charged for 'pedalling furiously' on a bicycle. lol.

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  15. I always chuckle when the American use of 'pants' is applied. In the UK we call them trousers. 'Pants' in the UK is often used as a general term for 'underpants' or 'panties'.
    (As for the word 'fanny', well I'm just not going to go there).

    However, the law is the law and, as such, must be obeyed.
    Off with their pants!

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  16. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL Drummond!!!
    You made me chuckle retrospectively !!!! So, I see you're asking for the enforcement of the law because you'd like to see more women wearing skirts but ... with pants, don't you ?

    Thank you for this nice laugh! PDP always enlighten my day, as you know ;-)

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  17. @ Drummond: agreed!!! oh pants... :)
    @ Eric and commentators:
    The POOR WOMAN in your photo....! That was my first thought! But of course you had to take a pixie of a lady in trousers (PLEASE she is wearing trousers not pants...)but if she knew how she is being discussed...!?!
    A fun contribution, made me grin and reading the comments made me grin again! Have ALL a happy day!
    And all women: Put your trousers on! (In Switzerland 'wearing the trousers' means that the woman has the saying in a marriage!)....
    Kiki

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  18. Is this a tourist, Eric? She does have a rather nice handbag that I wouldn't mind having...(love purses and bags!), but I have to admit that I absolutely love color and would miss it if I just wore black and white. Do Parisians wear color? I was thinking like Petrea, and if they don't, I will stick out like a tourist of the first magnitude! Oh well, hopefully I'll be having a marvelous time anyway!

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  19. Prohibitive law, forgotten law. It seems this is the destiny of this kind of laws.

    Regards

    Valery

    [Barcelona Daily Photo]

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  20. Drummond, you went there!

    I learned the British meaning of "fanny" when I was in Oxford, shopping for what I called a "fanny pack." The lady at the counter, who was not amused, gave me a sour look and pointed to the "bum packs." I bought one and am still using it.

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  21. @Christie "Is this a tourist, Eric?" No, I really don't think so.

    @Kiki ")but if she knew how she is being discussed...!?!" That is why I took a photo from behind

    @Diane. A law to shoot a German at sight?! Wow. That is much worse than this one!

    @Petrea "I would be pegged as a tourist if I so much as wore the wrong shoes" Yes, true. But so what. There is nothing wrong with looking like a tourist when you ARE a tourist!

    @Flore " I wear pants very often". True, I don't recall having seen you in a gown or dress actually! But it suits you well.

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  22. WHAT ? I never heard about this law before. Good thing that we have you, Eric, to warn us and tell us how to dress proberly when in Paris, LOL ;o)

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  23. Thank you very much Eric. I'm taking it as a great word :)
    I'm surprised you don't recall me in a gown or a dress (I even don't know what is the difference ...?) but how possible you don't recall me wearing a dress the 29/01/2010, nor the 03/12/2009, nor the 13/02/2009? LOOOOOOL!
    That will be for our next meeting ;-)

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  24. How funny!

    Anyway, she looks American anyway, with that coat. :) Maybe she can be granted international immunity.

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  25. phew! I'm glad I wasn't arrested when I was in Paris for wearing jeans!! lol! It probably explains why Parsian women are known for being well dressed around the world!

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