I have just received a clothing catalogue by email. Why on earth do they insist on referring to 'a trouser', 'a jean' and 'a short'? This rankles with me. How about you?
Coincidence - I've just been reading a catalogue and wondering if I needed 'a jean'. Then I opened my email and found Gransnet's reference to this thread which I (or someone with a similar name) started more than four years ago. The offender today is Cotton Traders but Bon Marché is just the same.
Thought it was a poor direct translation from La Redoute or similar- as in French it is 'un pantalon' but strangely enough 'un jeans' (singular with an 's').
De Nîmes was of course invented as a practically impossible to tear or destroy, for dockers.
This reminds me of the old thing where a school child was asked if "trousers" were singular or plural. After some thought the reply was "singular at the top, and plural at the bottom" !
Actually saying trouser instead of trousers shows that the manufacturer is foreign and employs staff who aren't clever enough to research what the English(UK) word is for the product they are trying to sell.
As to the other subject about skirts. I hate wearing tights so skirts are out in winter. In summer its bare legs and I like skirts,
I don't mind the singular trouser so much, but I get very annoyed by trousering - as in "He trousered the change" And what about the runner who "medals" instead of winning?
Outfitters and tailors always refer to 'a trouser' - remember Ken and Kenneth in the Fast Show? "Ooh, Suit you Sir, The ladies like a gentleman in a trouser, don't they Sir?"
I love a frock! makes me feel feminine and sexy. Love Kirsty allsop who always wears frocks BUT trousers are more practical and warm so I do wear them as well but love my Monsoon and East frocks - eternal hippy I suppose!
I agree that practicality is the driving force. Also, it's not true that skirts are necessarily more feminine. In lots of cultures women have always worn trousers of one kind or another and, similarly, men have often worn skirts. For an example of utter feminity in trousers, think salwar kameez outfits. And what could be more attractively male than the kilt?
More practical indeed. In my experience, looking dignified or simply decent getting out of a car wearing a skirt with a length from just below the knee to shorter, is impossible (unless you are the Queen of course), a maxi skirt gets stuck in the door, and you drive off with half your clothing hanging out, not nice on a rainy day! Give me trousers every time.
On the subject of trousers , can I go slightly 'off thread' for a moment and ask why more and more women are now opting to wear trousers instead of skirts these days ?Do they not like to feel feminine anymore or is it that trousers are more practical ?
Oh I klove this thread. fashion has gone all singluar. One buys a trouser, wears it with a court and Tee apparenlty. I blame Trinny and Susannah they started this nonsense on TV-look in all the fashion mags its all singluar - drives me mad!!!
Indeed. Cotton Traders, started by a rugby player, as I am informed by my other half, couldn't be more English. So much for my pedantry in assuming it must be French. Frank Cotton, what are you like!