Proof Text
Deuteronomy 22 is often quoted in discussions regarding whether or not women should only wear dresses. The verse in question states the following.
Anything that pertains to a man shall not be worn by a woman, neither shall a man put a woman’s garment on. For all that do so are abominable to the Lord . . . (Deuteronomy 22:5, HBFV).
Many churches believe that women ought not to wear pants, slacks and so on that are clothes deemed to be worn only by men. We need, however, to ask a simple question. What were ladies wearing in the days when Deuteronomy, and the rest of God's law, was written? Were they clothed in what we would call dresses?
At the time Moses wrote Deuteronomy there had to be some differences between a man's robe and what was worn by women. Do most females want to look like men? I don't think so. It is therefore safe to assume that some robes would look a bit more feminine than other ones.
Sound Principles
One of the basic principles of Bible study is to note what a verse says and what it does not say. Deuteronomy 22:5 does not give us any details regarding how clothes should cover the male or female body in Moses' time or throughout history.
God's law does not say men should wear short sleeves and women longer ones. It does not state how long clothes for each sex should be or even if patterns on the cloth are acceptable for one sex and not another.
Distinguishing Sexes
Implicit in God's Deuteronomy command is that the sexes should be distinguished from each other in regard to how they dress. The details of how this is manifested are based on the commonly accepted norms of the society and culture a person lives in.
It should be noted that the difference between the dress of men and women, in Moses' day, did not revolve around whether cloth was used to distinguish each person's legs (pants) or not (dresses). It centers on something a bit different.
"The dress of women was different in detail rather in kind. They (women) also (like men) wore a tunic and cloak . . . Doubtless they wore longer tunics, larger mantles than their menfolk." (Manners and Customs of Bible Lands).
Women were also sometimes distinguished in that they, at times, wore veils (see Genesis 24:65) while men did not. There were also other visible distinctions of sex such as females wearing makeup and generally placing on their bodies more ornamentation than males.
Conclusion
Women, in most western societies, have been wearing slacks (pants, jeans, etc.) for many years. This type of clothing is commonly accepted for both sexes. While some ladies may prefer to wear dresses, not doing so is not prohibited in the Bible.