France may have a reputation for being fashion-forward and eternally chic, but the country's legal code seems to be stuck in the Stone Ages. Turns out, it's illegal for women to wear trousers in Paris, as reported by the Telegraph.

Does First Lady Carla Bruni (pictured here) know about this?

But don't start fretting about having "les cops" on your tail if you decide to go wild and don a pair of jeans, you daredevil, you.

The antiquated law has reportedly been on the books since 1800, but isn't enforced... probably because, as the paper notes, French policewomen wearing trousers don't have much of a leg to stand on.

According to the source, the law states that a woman daring to wear trousers "must present herself to Paris's main police station to obtain authorisation."

Adjustments in 1892 and 1909 allowed flexibility for women holding the reins of a horse or riding a bicycle, the paper notes.

Efforts have been made to get rid of the rule, both in 1969 and 2003, when the minister overseeing gender equality argued that it was simpler to essentially ignore the rule rather than change it.

We'll remember that should we ever act disorderly over a pair of Jimmy Choos at H&M.