Bloomers is a word which has been applied to several types of divided women's
garments for the lower body at various times. The original bloomers were an article
of women's clothing invented by Elizabeth Smith Miller but popularized by Amelia
Bloomer in the early 1850's (hence the name, a shortening of "Bloomer suit").
They were like long baggy pants narrowing to a cuff at the ankles (worn below
a skirt), intended to preserve Victorian decency while being less of a hindrance
to women's activities than the long full skirts of the period (see Victorian dress
reform). They were worn by a few women in the 1850s, but were widely ridiculed
in the press, and failed to become commonly accepted (see 1850s in fashion). These
early bloomers were partly an attempt to adapt young girls' short skirts and pantalettes
to adult women's attire, and were partly influenced by middle-eastern clothing
styles (or what was thought to be middle-eastern styles) — hence the name
"Syrian costume".[1]
The word "bloomers" was sometimes used for the wearers of the garments,
rather than the garments themselves.
In 1909, fashion designer Paul Poiret attempted to popularize harem pants worn
below a long flaring tunic, but this attempted revival of fashion bloomers (under
another name) did not catch on.
During the late 19th century, athletic bloomers (also known as "rationals"
or "knickerbockers") were skirtless baggy knee-length trousers, fastened
to the leg a little below the knees; at that time, they were worn by women in
a few narrow contexts of athletic activity — such as bicycle-riding, gymnastics,
and sports other than tennis — only (see 1890s in fashion). Later, when
it started to become respectable for women to wear pants in a wider range of
circumstances in the 1920s, styles imitating men's pants were favored, and bloomers
tended to become less common. However, baggy knee-length gym shorts fastened
at the knees continued to be worn by girls in school physical education classes
through to the 1950s in some areas.
Women's underpants with short legs could also be known as "bloomers"
(or as "knickers" or "drawers").
The modern Japanese version of bloomers consist of the entire legs exposed
and are pronounced burûmâ:
The Dragon Ball character Bulma is named after bloomers.
The Street Fighter character Sakura Kasugano wears red bloomers under her sailor
fuku. Most Westerners confuse bloomers with panties since their designs are
almost the same in Japan, but bloomers are a bit thicker and come in bold colors.
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