Patent for Trousers for a Handicapped Person 1960. United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Helen Cookman’s patented Trousers for a Handicapped Person includes zippers down the length of both legs and a belt that keeps the front in place while the back unzips for ease when using the bathroom. In postwar America, the autonomy that these trousers afforded was inextricably tied to dignity. This design was produced by Better Grade Trousers and was the basis for Cookman’s last and biggest collaboration before her passing—Levi’s® jeans.
