Elira is much more than a conveniently designed pair of pants for the outdoorsy woman. Elira is strength, dignity, power and freedom. Elira is what we all aspire to be as women.
The name Elira, in Albanian, means “to be free”. Throughout history, women have been discredited, kept down and controlled. The fear of the female energy and the immense power it holds has been so strong, it was caged. To be an Elira woman is to break free from that confinement with your head held high.
A Little About Us
Elira pants are for both men and women who love to adventure outdoors, but they were designed with women in mind. Everywhere women “go” outdoors, we are exposed. We don’t have an aimable hose to empty our bladders, so we are left with the time-consuming and degrading task of stripping down to squat any time Mother Nature calls.
Elira pants and underwear make the process much less inconvenient. Whether you’re hiking, exploring the Alaskan wilderness, or climbing the side of a mountain - you have to go, too. Elira makes peeing outdoors a breeze, and much more modest, by opening in the crotch and remaining lightweight and discreet.
Trying to find practical women’s pants that make the process mess and hassle free isn’t easy. Especially if you’re looking for a product which respects women, rather than degrading them with misplaced sexuality and cutesy branding. Elira has no logo. We don’t believe in the exploitation of women, or any individual, in any way.
In a world screaming for equality, we, as Elira women, are screaming for equity. We don’t want everyone to be handed the same tools for different jobs. We just want women to be able to perform at our individual best, however intimidating our best may be.
History of Pants
Chances are, you’ve heard the phrase “Who wears the pants in the relationship?”. Whether you’ve been asked this question personally or have heard someone else get hounded, you probably haven’t put much thought into where that saying came from or why “wearing the pants” is such a big deal. When you consider that it wasn’t until the 1960s-1970s when it started to be acceptable for women to wear pants out in public, it might open your eyes a little more.
In the 1850s, “Bloomer pants” began gaining popularity. The pants, which were baggy and meant to be worn under dresses and skirts, were designed by Elizabeth Smith Miller. They came to be called Bloomer pants because of the women’s rights advocate, Emilia Bloomer who initiated their rise in popularity.
A Kindergarten teacher in Los Angeles was sentenced to jail time for wearing a pair of pants to testify in court. Helen Hulick was held in contempt of court and sent to jail because the judge deemed her pants “too distracting” to the rest of the court when she showed up to testify as a witness to an alleged burglary. After being sent to jail and forced to wear a prison-issue denim dress, Ms Hulick was released on her own recognizance. After many letters from supporters, her citation was overturned.
By the 20th century, pants on women were deemed appropriate for “occasional dress” only, for the most part anyway. Women in the Senate weren’t even able to wear pants until 1993 when Carol Moseley-Braun spear-headed The Pantsuit Rebellion. Up until Moseley-Braun refused to sacrifice her comfort for another’s, there were Senate doorkeepers who would turn people away if what they were wearing wasn’t deemed “appropriate” by either their own opinion or their boss’ instruction.
Hillary Clinton was even the first First Lady to wear pants for her official White House portrait. Until then, it was still customary to wear a dress or skirt and frowned upon to break the accepted dress code.
Benefits of Peeing Outside
Pee is gross, right? Wrong. Pee is actually about 95% water, with the rest of the 5% being determined by your health and diet. It’s also very clean and has great antifungal benefits, making peeing on your feet in the shower or outside that much more okay. A lot of women end up with bladder infections from holding their bladder instead of squatting because of the fear and discomfort associated with peeing outdoors.
Peeing in a squatting position is healthier for you. Squatting is a more natural position than sitting on a toilet and actually helps to relax your bladder and pelvic floor so you can empty your bladder more completely. Squatting also helps to strengthen your bladder, which could prove helpful to those of us who have had children.
You can keep baby wipes or toilet paper on hand in case the need arises. If you’re really feeling natural, you can use whatever Mother Nature has to offer to wipe yourself or keep a pee rag handy. Air drying is also a beneficial way to go and cuts down on toilet paper, so you don’t leave behind any tiny pieces.
However you decide to do it, do it with dignity and ease. Go outside and discover your freedom as an Elira woman.