Bloomers were inspired by harem pants and pantalettes, and were popularized by women’s rights activist Amelia Bloomer. They were practical for sports and activities, but did not catch on for everyday wear until the late 1920s. Today, they are mostly worn as undergarments.
Bloomers are knee- or ankle-length pants that were inspired by harem pants from countries like Syria. They were also partly inspired by women’s undergarments called pantalettes, or sometimes just pants or drawers, which adult women and girls wore under petticoats. You often hear of pantalettes, first developed in the early 1800s, known as bloomers today, but this usage occurs long after the development of pantalettes. You can also tell the bloomers from pantalettes in early wear because of the tapered legs; bloomers have a tapered leg, while pantalettes have a wide-leg construction.
Elizabeth Smith Miller developed true bloomers in the mid-19th century. Amelia Bloomer, an American women’s rights activist, popularized them. The Bloomers were an attempt to provide “decent” pant options for women who wanted the ability to engage in more rigorous activities where skirts might get in the way. However, many Victorians did not embrace the style, and wearers of the trousers were nicknamed “bloomers”, after Amelia’s fashion choices. Today we use flowers to refer to pants, and not to the women who wore them.
Although bloomers were not well received by most, they did have practical uses. In the late 19th century, women on sports teams often wore a pair of knee-length pants with black stockings. They could be part of a woman’s swimsuit. In the context of wearing them for certain sports, knickers or sometimes knickers were considered acceptable. They were certainly more comfortable for activities like biking.
Fashion designer Paul Poiret tried to style bloomers in the early 20th century, but he was simply too early in his design. The style did not catch on for everyday wear. By the late 1920s, women began to wear pants relatively regularly, and even longer shorts began to find their way into women’s fashion. Bloomers simply became an undergarment worn under skirts, or maybe even pants. Additionally, girls participating in the school’s athletic programs often wore floral pants that were hemmed below the knee, and this tradition would continue into the 1940s and 1950s in schools, where shorts were thought to be indecent. .
With skirts becoming shorter, the 19th century pantalettes or long pants were no longer popular. Shorts may be worn under pants and shirts. You can still occasionally find nylon or silk panties in the lingerie sections. The original pantalettes were usually made of linen or cotton. Bloomers, on the other hand, were often made of wool or silk/wool blends.
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