CathInfo.com

Those examples are not fashions that were prevalent at the time of "Padre Pio", who was absurdly name-dropped, without any substantiation.  I could go on forever about using Padre Pio as some "rule of faith", since not only has there never been more apocryphal material and "sayings" attributed to anyone in history more than to Padre Pio, but we go by what the Church holds and not Padre Pio.  Padre Pio had his reasons, and there were points he was making, sometimes under God's inspiration, but at other times based on his own judgment.

So, given that Padre Pio was a sensational character due to the preternatural phenomena associated with him 

“By Padre Pio’s explicit wish, women must enter the confessional wearing skirts at least 8 inches below the knee….” If those whom he refused asked why he treated them in this manner, he would answer: “Don’t you know what pain it costs me to shut the door on anyone? The Lord has forced me to do so. I do not call anyone, nor do I refuse anyone either. There is someone else who calls and refuses them. I am His useless tool⁹.”