The War on the Hatpin
Legislators move to curb the 'menace' of oversized fashion accessories in public spaces.
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And now something is going to happen to the hatpin. Just for fear that the increased length of that necessary weapon, favorite of woman, may become a menace to the life and ears and noses of pedestrians and strap-hangers, the legislators are getting their pencils out and making laws on the subject. In Oregon the legislature has decided that it's no use living if one has to be squeezed against human pin cushions on the streetcars and run the risk of being mortally wounded on the public highway. This has tipped off the city dads in a number of thriving metropolitan towns, and ordinances limiting the length of hatpins everywhere from 9 to 14 inches are pouring into the legislative hoppers.
“Just for fear that the increased length of that necessary weapon, favorite of woman, may become a menace to the life and ears and noses of pedestrians and strap-hangers, the legislators are getting their pencils out.”
Long before contemporary debates over public safety and personal expression, city councils were obsessed with the 'menace' of women's fashion. This reflects a recurring historical pattern where civic authorities attempt to legislate public comfort by policing women's bodies in crowded transit spaces.
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