Suffragettes Pack a Surprising Punch!

Suffragette- a word coined to belittle. Described as hysterical agitators and "violent cranks," many of these women were working 12-hour days in service with virtually no rights, and of course without the vote, rendering them nearly invisible within society. They sacrificed what little time and resources they had left to fight for their rights and advocate for themselves. Rising up was more risky as a working class woman, because imprisonment would devastate their ability to get future employment. These were powerful determined women, some even trained in Jiu Jitsu for self defense.

They ingeniously used their clothing and appearance to their advantage. Lacey Edwardian clothing was worn to present themselves as non-threatening delicate conformists. Look more closely and you'll find practical shoes for dashing out of harm's way, hat pins ready to be used in self defense, and often a small toffee hammer in a pocket to break windows. Many wore beautiful hand-knit cardigans, which were more affordable than the tailored coats and jackets of the more visible higher class women fighting alongside them.

Over a hundred years later, their work and spirit remain particularly relevant today. For the cause, these unstoppable women used the colors purple, white and gold in the United States, while most others used green instead of gold.