1
general::
Exercise controlling authority in a household, as in Grandma wears the pants at our house. This idiom, generally applied to women and dating from the mid-1500s, a time when they wore only skirts, equates pants with an authoritative and properly masculine role. Originally put as wear the breeches, it remains in use despite current fashions.
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): wear the pants (in the family)
Go to wear the britches (in the family) and wear the pants (in the family)
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs