Why did the dress of sans culottes become a political symbol?

Correct answer: It showed distance from noble fashion and identity with common people

The direct answer is A: the dress showed distance from noble fashion and identification with ordinary people. Sans-culottes literally means “without knee-breeches.” Wealthy and noble men commonly wore short breeches ending at the knees, while working people wore long trousers. During the Revolution, long trousers therefore became more than ordinary clothing: they expressed equality, rejection of aristocratic privilege, and support for the revolutionary people. The red cap was another revolutionary symbol, although the central clothing clue here is the long trousers. A is correct because it connects dress with social identity and political opposition to privilege. B is wrong because the clothing did not represent an order issued by the king; sans-culottes were often hostile to royal power. C is wrong because this dress did not increase Church authority. D is wrong because it did not identify foreign soldiers. Remember: long trousers meant ordinary citizens and opposition to aristocratic dress.