# Why do women's pants have so many fastenings? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-womens-pants-have-so-many-fastenings/647510 "2013-01-17T14:59:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-womens-pants-have-so-many-fastenings/647510/21 "2013-01-18T13:11:38Z")
LL Bean’s [Men’s Double L Chino slacks](http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/22821?page=double-l-chinos-classic-fit-plain-front) have three fasteners in addition to the zipper. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-womens-pants-have-so-many-fastenings/647510/22 "2013-01-20T23:10:50Z")
I think my answer is a different combination of the above ones. I always blamed it on the fact that women’s fashions seems to be a lot tighter. A shirt that fits me is a size too large when worn on a similarly sized woman, it seems. With tighter clothes comes the need for stronger fasteners. I also briefly flirted with the idea that it had to do with women fluctuating in weight more often than men, but then I realized it’s rather predictable, and I know a lot of women who have fat pants they wear when they are all bloated. Thus there’s no reason for the same clothes to handle different sizes. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-womens-pants-have-so-many-fastenings/647510/23 "2013-01-21T03:59:52Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I also briefly flirted with the idea that it had to do with women fluctuating in weight more often than men, but then I realized it’s rather predictable, and I know a lot of women who have fat pants they wear when they are all bloated. Thus there’s no reason for the same clothes to handle different sizes. Not pants, but over here T-shirts billed as “free size” were all the rage for a while. “Free size” was some sort of intermediate, large-ish size that was supposed to fit everyone regardless of how big or little they were. The shopkeepers honestly seemed to think they were some sort of magic size that would conform to everyone. I’d ask if they had it in an XL or even XXL, and the little shopgirls would just smile and say," Don’t worry. It’s free size." But there was no way I could wear it comfortably let alone even squeeze it on. And many farangs (Westerners) are even bigger than I am. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-womens-pants-have-so-many-fastenings/647510/24 "2013-01-22T00:46:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Not pants, but over here T-shirts billed as “free size” were all the rage for a while. “Free size” was some sort of intermediate, large-ish size that was supposed to fit everyone regardless of how big or little they were. The shopkeepers honestly seemed to think they were some sort of magic size that would conform to everyone. I’d ask if they had it in an XL or even XXL, and the little shopgirls would just smile and say," Don’t worry. It’s free size." But there was no way I could wear it comfortably let alone even squeeze it on. And many farangs (Westerners) are even bigger than I am. Hah. Reminds me of the place I worked where they “solved” the issue of shirt sizes by issuing all staff shirts size XXL. They did indeed _cover_ everyone…but some of us could have camped in the excess fabric. I think **Zsofia** nailed it though. Pants with redundant fasteners don’t have weird unfeminine bulges in the front. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-womens-pants-have-so-many-fastenings/647510/25 "2013-01-22T02:18:26Z")
I asked a few lady friends. Best answer was “To keep them from falling off after drinking tequila.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-womens-pants-have-so-many-fastenings/647510/26 "2013-01-23T18:21:40Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I think **Zsofia** nailed it though. Pants with redundant fasteners don’t have weird unfeminine bulges in the front. But then why not just have the hook? I have had several pairs of pants that just had the hook and zipper, no buttons. I’m also having a hard time picturing what she’s talking about with the little corner thing, so maybe that’s what’s confusing me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-womens-pants-have-so-many-fastenings/647510.md?page=1)