Women Wore Pants

In ancient times, there were entire civilizations where women wore pants every single day. In fact, pants weren't invented for men or women specifically—they were invented for horses.

​If a society relied on riding horses for travel, herding, and warfare, everyone wore pants because riding a horse in a skirt or a robe causes severe chafing and is highly impractical.

​1. The Scythians and the Real "Amazons" (1000 BCE)

​The Scythians were a massive group of nomadic, horse-riding tribes who lived on the Eurasian steppes (modern-day Ukraine, Russia, and Central Asia).

• ​The Dress Code: Because life on the steppe revolved entirely around horses, both Scythian men and Scythian women wore heavy, patterned wool or leather trousers (anaxyrides) tucked into boots to stay warm and ride efficiently.

• ​The Greek Reaction: When the ancient Greeks (who wore tunics and robes) saw these nomadic women riding, shooting bows, and wearing pants, they were shocked. This historical reality directly inspired the famous Greek myths of the Amazons—the fierce, independent tribe of women warriors who wore trousers into battle.

2. Ancient China (Han Dynasty and Onward)

​In ancient China, pants were worn by women very early on, primarily for practical, hard labor.

• ​The Working Class: While wealthy women wore long, layered robes, working-class women, farmers, and female servants wore loose, comfortable trousers (ku) beneath shorter tunics so they could move easily while working the fields, cooking, or managing households.

• ​The Military: Just like in the West, Chinese women who joined military forces or rode horses wore trousers as standard gear.

  

3. Ancient Persia and the Middle East

In the ancient Persian Empire, both men and women of high status wore beautifully dyed, loose-fitting trousers under their robes. The climate and the reliance on cavalry made trousers a practical luxury item. Greek historians writing about Persia frequently noted that Persian women wore pants, which the Greeks culturally viewed as "exotic" or "foreign."

The Historical Irony: In the ancient Mediterranean world (Greece and Rome), nobody wore pants. Roman emperors and Greek philosophers wore tunics, cloaks, and togas. In fact, Roman men initially thought pants were barbaric and "effeminate" because they associate them with Eastern cultures where women wore them! It wasn't until Roman soldiers marched into colder climates like northern Europe that they finally adopted trousers for warmth.

10 A.D.-1700's: Origin

In its East Asian origins, the pants were worn by both men and women. They were baggy from the waist down to create a sense of modesty in the strict religious society. The pants embodied morality.