Figures of feminism: Astiée's fight to authorize women to wear pants in the 19th century<

This summer, 20 minutes, in partnership with Retonews, the press site of the National Library of France, offers a series of portraits of feminist figures often forgotten.Today, meet the feminist activist Marie-Rose Astié of Valsayre, apostle of the wearing of pants prohibited for women in the 19th century ...

Clothing scandals in the assembly do not date from yesterday.In 1887, deputies received a petition demanding the right for women to wear the same clothes as men, and in particular the pants to Paris,.This historic advocacy for "freedom of costume" is signed Marie-Rose Astié de Valsayre.Unknown to the general public, she led a life as hectic as in advance over her time and was one of the pioneers of female emancipation.

Thus is addressed Marie-Rose Astiée de Valsayre aux Élus, in July 1887.She is the first to claim the repeal of "the routine law which prohibits women from carrying the male costume, just as decent, whatever one can say, especially undoubtedly more hygienic".

Against an order of 1800 ... and millennial traditions

At the time, women were deprived of carrying the pants under an order dating from the First Republic, taken on 16 Brumaire year IX (November 7, 1800), which stipulates that "transvestite" women [in men]must be arrested by the police, except in the event of an exceptional exemption, often for health reasons.It is therefore to this text and to solidly anchored traditions that Marie-Rose Astié de Valsayre attacks in 1887.

"At the time, there was a debate on the wearing of the corset, which doctors said it was bad for health," recalls historian Nicole Cadène."Astié had studied medicine and this explains that his claim for freedom of costume is above all hygienic.His petition comes after the fire of the comic opera, in which women, embarrassed by their clothes, perished.But there was also an economic dimension, because women were prevented from exercising certain professions because of their outfit, and a feminist dimension, freedom of movement, "continues the researcher associated with Telemme.

The Petition of Astié then arouses the mockery of the press, especially under the pen - tinged with misogyny - of a journalist of the Parisian little dated from July 28, 1887."It is certain that the delicious costumes, the puffy dresses, the floating falbalas, the plump turns which is put on to charm the female sex is not what is most convenient to engage in gymnastics exercises that'requires, in number of cases, a rescue ”, mocks the author.But he also underlines "the big drawbacks that would result from the point of view of the costume of the confusion of the sexes" and is worried about seeing the activist call into question "an immemorial use consecrated by the uninterrupted consent of innumerable generations", pointing theWeight of clothing conventions of the time.

"In the salons, the ball dresses, which we do extremely long, never prevented a lady from waltzing ... I was going to say of Valsayre," said the century of August 26, 1888.

Woman of letters and swords

The taunts, sometimes gross, of her male contemporaries and mocking caricatures are as much aroused by the claims of Astié (as she calls herself), deemed incongruous at the time, as by her reputation.At 40, she is already known in Paris and abroad for her duel provocations, one of which is reported in Le Figaro of May 10, 1886."At the time, men demonstrated their citizenship by using the duel.Astité voualit that women can do the same, that they are able to defend their honor.She founded the Fencing League in 1893, "notes the historian Nicole Cadène.

Married to a doctor, she studied medicine and pharmacy and officiated as a paramedic during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, during which she was injured.She also composed music and wrote several works, sometimes under a male pseudonym.

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It is on the wrong foot that she began to campaign since she published in 1882, under pseudo, a work in which she criticized the feminists of the time."She has evolved, of moderate feminism, which pushed her to reject feminists of her time, towards a much more radical feminism," observes Nicole Cadène."This breakup corresponds on the personal level with the death of her husband, in 1881, and her adhesion to socialism, from 1888.»»

It is a turning point for Astié which founded a year later the league for the emancipation of women (also called women's league).At her head, she campaigned for the registration of women on the electoral lists and even brought candidate for the 1889 then 1893 elections, testimony. « Elle a aussi créé des syndicats de couturières, lingères, mécaniciennes et de verseuses[serveuses dans des bars], elle s’est battue pour leurs salaires afin de leur éviter la prostitution»», détaille l’historienne.

A legislative failure

A year after its petition, the Astié legislative initiative failed: the Chamber of Deputies opposes an end of inadmissibility to its advocacy. Le député de gauche Sigismond Lacroix lui répond qu’il « n’y a pas matière à œuvre législative : aucune loi n’interdit aux femmes le costume masculin»», et renvoie la pétitionnaire vers la préfecture de police, relate Le Matin du 19 juillet 1888 – pour le plus grand bonheur du journaliste.

« Qu’importe !»» (telle était la devise d’Astié), la militante adresse une lettre ouverte au préfet de police de Paris, le 26 février 1889 :

Explaining to the official that she took cold because of her skirts lying in the snow, she chooses to wear the pants without the police authorization."Astié was a very radical feminist and she also knew how to give a media echo to her fights. Les féministes n’étaient alors qu’une poignée, pour qu’elles se fassent entendre, il fallait comprendre les médias, ce qu’Astié, qui a écrit pour une trentaine de revues, faisait très bien»», souligne Nicole Cadène.

Un « symbole du pouvoir et de la virilité»»

Did Astié regularly carry the pants at her own risk?Historians lack evidence.His case is in any case not isolated: several contemporaries brave the forbidden, such as the writer George Sand, the sculptor Gisèle d'Estoc, the archaeologist Jane Dieulafoy, the painter Rosa Bonheur or the activistsEugenia Potonié-Pierre and MadeleinePelletier.

Ce faisant, ces pionnières s’emparent du « symbole du pouvoir et de la virilité, le pantalon, pour en faire un vêtement mixte»», selon l’historienne Christine Bard**.It is "the very type of feminist precursor, demanding as Madeleine Pelletier both the right for women to enjoy privileges reserved for men in the society of her time and the right to participate himself as a comrade in allsocial struggles. (…) Elle exige le droit de s’exprimer librement, en parole et par son costume»», expliquent les auteurs du Dictionnaire des féministes***.

If the Petition of Astié did not immediately revolutionize the wardrobes of women in France, the evolution of manners and the democratization of the bicycle (inseparable from the skirt).. Dès 1895, Astié mène à nouveau une fronde vestimentaire en combattant un projet d'interdiction aux « cyclowomen de porter le pantalon en dehors des exercices de pédale»».But it was not until 2013 that the order was declared without object, more than a century after the plea of this feminist fallen into oblivion.

"At the end of her life, she was completely marginalized. Lorsqu’elle meurt en 1915 dans un hôpital parisien, c’est le personnel qui déclare son décès, en ignorant tout de son combat»», explique Nicole Cadène."She dies very isolated: two of her children had already died, and one of her sons had cut the bridges.The feminists she was close to were dead before her.»» Sa contribution au mouvement féministe sera aussi un peu oubliée. « Après une génération de féministes radicales, le début du XXe siècle est celui de celles que l’on appelle les féministes en jupons, bien plus modérées, pour qui Astié fait office d’épouvantail»», rappelle l’historienne.

>> A lire aussi :Les femmes politiques critiquées pour leur tenue vestimentaire

* Author of Astiée de Valsayre: feminism is a combat sport, to be published.

** « Le Droit au pantalon»», La Vie des idées, 2013.

*** Fetminist dictionary.FRANCE - 18th century, led by Christine Bard and Sylvie Chaperon, PUF, 2017.