h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Modern Scottish kilts go back to the Elizabethan era embargo on exports of Irish linen to Scotland, producing a clothing shortage, compelling people to wear their woolen sleeping blankets by day, the wool in turn imported from France since their was no sheep culture in Scotland yet.

Before that, the Scots wore the saffron shirt, a v-necked, mid-thigh length tunic, with plaid trews (trousers).

The Toltecs did something similar, about a hundred years before that, in response to the Aztec embargo on export of cotton to the Toltec country, going to clothing woven of jute fiber, very coarse and rough.




Trousers were invented by the ancient Persians to better accommodate equestrians.




The post Iyeyasu had 'short arm' inspections for boys crossing border check points between prefectures to be sure that women disguised as boys were not travelling illegally unescorted.

Insert 'Japan' after 'Iyeyasu'.

>>Indeed, it's so unfair that it's really hard for women to cross-dress smiley - laugh<<

It's not hard for people with female bodies to cross-dress, as men's trousers and shirts are generally a bit different from the same items made for women, but male body or female body, I think it isn't often easy to be *perceived* as a cross-dresser if you prefer trousers and shirts - the line "men and women can wear trousers/shirts" tends to dismiss such an identity... But such identities do exist