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4 Signs You ‘Wear the Pants’ in Your Relationship, According to a Dating Expert

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19.10.2026

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4 Signs You ‘Wear the Pants’ in Your Relationship, According to a Dating Expert

From making major decisions to having the final say in arguments, a matchmaker reveals four signs you might hold more power than your partner

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Growing up as a Millennial, I’ve learned (and since unlearned) a ton of old-fashioned dating advice and expectations. One concept that’s always stuck with me is the idea of one partner “wearing the pants” in the relationship. Usually, this person is the more authoritative, dominant, and traditionally “masculine” partner—the “head of the house,” so to speak.

I’ve always thought the statement was silly and outdated. In fact, I remember my high school boyfriend’s friend spewing it at me as an insult. God forbid a woman wants some power in her relationship…I wear my pants with pride.

Though the phrase is a bit antiquated today, its underlying context does shed light on potentially unhealthy or unbalanced dynamics between........

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