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Bloomers were pants for women which gathered at the waist and at the knees and were usually made of cotton. They were worn by women during the late 1800s but eventually went out of fashion.
The bloomer was first made famous when Amelia Bloomer announced in her publication, The Lily, that she would be adopting this form of dress in 1851. In fact, the term bloomer inherited her name. Bloomer wanted women to wear clothing that promoted freedom of movement, so she appeared in public in knee-length, loose-fitting pants. When bloomers were introduced to women in the 1850s, they were very controversial--a lot of men and women alike thought that women were better off wearing traditional dresses.
The bloomer also became a symbol of women's rights. Many of the women who adopted the bloomer, such as Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, were also the women who were activists. They dubbed the bloomer the "freedom dress". This was because the bloomer not only game more physical freedom to the female that wore them, but also, in a sense, a figurative freedom of the female to choose what they wear. However, only a few years later, the activists felt the bloomer distracted from their overall message of suffrage, and reverted back to traditional dresses.
After the Civil War, bloomers almost completely disappeared from society until its reemergence as a popular form of dress in the 1890s. However, they had already become an iconic part of the feminist rights movement.
Sources:
https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports-and-everyday-life/fashion-and-clothing/clothing-jewelry-and-personal-adornment/bloomers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomers_(clothing)
This is a very interesting topic to address. It's interesting how a piece of clothing can become a symbol for more than just the freedom to wear unconventional clothing, and how it can become a symbol for the encompassing topic of women's rights. I wonder if the bloomer really had any positive effects aside from empowerment, or if it only served as a source of judgement by others.
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice addition to the history of the women's rights movement. It may seem like a trivial thing to some but clothing that can provide more freedom for women was really important. The movement didn't end up lasting but it was a nice try for more freedom.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an unique topic to write about! I find it really interesting that a creation of clothing that was meant to physically free women, changed to become a figurative symbol of women's freedom to choose what they wear. I think it would be interesting to elaborate on the origins of these pants as well as why female activists brought back this form of dress. Overall, this was a very fun read!
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting topic to write about and I found it very engaging to read. It is also interesting to note that the bloomers were not just physically freeing. They looked closer to men's pants, so the bloomers were also a form of rebellion and dissent. Women wanted to be equal to men, and dressing in a way that was closer to them would show their desires for equality.
ReplyDeleteSource:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/amelia-bloomer-didnt-mean-start-fashion-revolution-her-name-became-synonymous-trousers-180969164/
I think that this topic is really interesting! It is fascinating to learn how such a simple change in women's attire during the 1850's served as an engine for women to advocate for their freedom as well as rebel against the status quo. I feel that the bloomers were a way for women to not only make a bold statement to support gender equality, but to rebel against many aspects of tradition varying from attire itself to the male-dominated society at the time.
ReplyDeleteI found this post to be very insightful! It is very interesting that the bloomers were much better for women's health as they were not physically constraining women, like dresses. Women wore bloomers to rebel, as they resembled pants. They eventually went out of style but later came back as Turkish-style pantaloons, divided skirts, and knickerbockers that women wore while riding bicycles in the cycling craze of the 1890s.
ReplyDelete