Amelia Bloomer was interested in dress reform as well as women's rights and
public activism for women. It was in 1852 that the temperance magazine she
edited ('The Lily') advocated and carried patterns for 'Turkish pantaloons',
which garment became known as 'bloomers' after her. They were usually
full-length loose garments, similar to what are known today as 'harem
pants', lightweight trouser-type things with fairly wide legs for comfort..
As shorter skirts became popular for women, some of them wore 'bloomers'
which ended at the knee. However, many of the campaigners for women's
rights/dress reform stopped wearing them because of ridicule. Elizabeth
Cady Stanton wrote that 'such is the tyranny of custom, that to escape
constant observation, criticism, ridicule, persecution, and mobs, one after
another (woman) went back to the old slavery and sacrificed freedom...'
She was sorry to lose the practical 'bloomer' which would have made it easy
for her to climb upstairs holding a lantern and carrying a baby without
tripping.
Christine
- Original Message -
From: Shereen Benjamin [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 7:58 PM
Subject: [GO] WSVS Topic 4
I'm just catching up with this now. Thanks, Christine, for long and
fascinating post - I haven't read much North American GO lit, so I haven't
got much to say, but the following gem just grabbed my attention:
Women began to fight to change the way
they dressed; it was realised that their clothing restricted their bodies
and were bad for their health. One of the best-known clothes reform
campaigners was Mrs Amelia Bloomer, who gave her name to the
then-revolutionary garment.
I know I should know this, and of course I've seen loads of references to
bloomers, but can I confess my ignorance and ask what they acksherly
consisted of? I've never known.
I like the idea of clothes reform campaigners. Some of the early
headmistresses of the school I went to were among their number, and their
achievements in banning corsets etc were read out to us every Founder's Day.
At the time I'm afraid it didn't make much impression, but I think I'd've
paid more attention if I'd known about those statistics you quote,
Christine. 22 lbs of pressure, carried around with you all day long. Blimey.
Shereen
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