Henley rows back on ‘sexist and oppressive’ trouser ban for women
IN THE words of the organisers themselves, the Henley Regatta is synonymous with style. But there was also a danger that the annual rowing festival on the Thames was becoming synonymous with sexism and outdated practices, thanks to its long-standing ban on women wearing trousers.
Now, following growing demands denouncing the dress code as “sexist, oppressive, antiquated and serving no purpose”, the insistence that women wear dresses has been dropped.
When the regatta opens today, women will be allowed to wear trousers in the Stewards’ Enclosure, providing they also wear a jacket or blazer, and the trousers, including culottes, “clearly fall below the knee and be full or near to full length”.
The move overturns the previous dress code for female spectators – which was introduced in the mid-1970s, when the strict rules for both men and women were first adopted – and stated that “Ladies are required to wear dresses or skirts with a hemline below the knee. Ladies will not be admitted wearing divided skirts, culottes or trousers of any kind”.
It now reads: “Ladies are required to wear dresses or skirts, with a hemline below the knee, or jackets or blazers with trousers, or trouser suits.”
The ban on shorts, leggings, tracksuits or jeans remains very much in place, however, for men as well as women. The regatta has updated its style guide to include illustrations of women in trousers. The move was welcomed yesterday by female rowing fans and spectators, who have long campaigned to be allowed to wear trousers.
Georgina Grant, an Oxford student and member of the University Women’s Boat Club who last year raised a petition calling for a change to the “sexist and antiquated rules”, said: “I’m pleased Henley have taken a step into the present on this. The trouser ban is symbolic of an era when women couldn’t compete and were just there to look pretty.”
Sir Steve Redgrave, chairman of the regatta, said: “We have been asked for a number of years if we could look at the ladies’ dress code because times have changed. Even though we see ourselves very much as a traditional event with a traditional way of dressing, with the introduction of more women’s events in recent years and a growing number of women stewards, we felt that it was the right time to make the change.”
The rules do not apply in the supporters’ enclosure, where there is no dress code for the 2,000 paying spectators.