The History of Old-Fashioned
Bloomers
Why the
name Bloomers?
The term “bloomers” derives it's name from Amelia Bloomer. Amelia was
prompted to wear clothing that would adhere to the period's modest
fashions, but would also allow her to comfortably pursue her latest
passion: Bicycling!
The
ladies fashions of the time were cumbersome, at best, and included
great trailing skirts, a tightly laced whalebone corset, and about six
feet of straggling skirts. These styles were hardly suited for active
pursuits...let alone bicycling.
Amelia had become a very successful crusader through articles she wrote
and published in “The Lily,” a publication that she owned and edited.
It wasn’t only style that Amelia attack, but she published articles
promoting women’s rights, temperance, and child labor laws, and through
her newspaper, she evidently managed to provoke nationwide
controversy.
In
researching the specific style that Amelia concocted, one will be left
guessing. Some say that the pant-style garment was blousy ending at the
ankles with a button closure that held snugly around the ankle, and
worn with a mid-calf length skirt, while others picture it as “men’s
pants.”
One
can imagine that there was a specific style of garment that could be
called “bloomers” during that time, but history has managed to obscure
the name bloomer with many styles. Pantaloons, drawers, knickers, and
in the U.K., knickers are referred to as many styles of woman’s
underwear.
Why should you consider adding Bloomers to your
wardrobe?
Nightwear
"Out
on the town” or party wear. On the web-site there is
photograph of a pair of below-the-knee bloomers fashioned
from black velvet. Wear them with a black top, long black boots.
They'll keep your legs warm.
Sleepwear
Bloomers
make wonderful pajamas and sleepwear. The comfort of "sweats" combined
with the fanciful uniqueness of renaissance clothing makes Bloomers a
wonderful choice.
Erotica
Particularly exciting to some when
worn with corsets, and stockings. Brides: Wear white bloomers with blue
ribbon under your lace wedding gown. The blue ribbon fulfills the
“something blue” in the “something borrowed, something blue."
There are some that view bloomers as uniquely feminine.
Beach Cover-Up
In and out of the beach and want to cover the "real you?" Try a pair of
bloomers. They can be thin, made of lace material, or of light-weight
cotton. Beats those towels that some girls use.
Precautions on Wearing Bloomers
Bloomers should only be worn with a-line or full skirts. (Ruffles may
cause“bloomerlines” like panty lines when worn with narrow skirts,
whether the bloomers or skirts are long or short.) Of course, no skirt
at all can be worn if the garment is thick enough to wear to a party or
as club wear.
Misconceptions
All bloomer enthusiasts must make clear to those they share their
fascination, that the bloomer person is interested in bloomers as an
adult who has attraction to bloomers as an adult garment, as
one who appreciates bloomers worn with erotic garments such as corsets.
Many adults who wear bloomers as a fashion statement, have been
misunderstood as "adult babies," and visa-versa. Just a hint to anyone
who questions the bloomer wearer usually suffices in situations like
this.
Wear
your bloomers with wild abandon. Have fun! Yes, there are novelty
bloomers that are just plain fun to wear.
My Bloomers !
We offer custom sewn
under-garments, bloomers, antique pantaloons, chemise shirts, knickers,
pantelettes and much more all at affordable prices!
We want to be sensitive to your budget as well as to your tastes. You
will find our low prices for "Standard Bloomers" allows you to obtain a
quality sewn pair for the price you would spend a regular pair of pants
at the store.
Bloomers, knickers, pantaloons and/or pantelets are a wardrobe staple
for those living a modest conservative lifestyle. For this reason my
Standard Knee length Bloomers are my personal choice.
Bloomers can become a fun addition to anyone's wardrobe. Fancy for
going out. Easy and comfortable for housework, hanging out and even
sleeping. These items also make a neat and unusual gift for your loved
ones! Students find these are great to study in, much cooler than sweat
pants.
All my items are available for children!
Why Buy My Bloomers?
All items are hand-made
personally by me because of my love of bloomers.
I double stitch every seam and even triple stitch in some spots where
extra security might be needed. I want each and every person to be
satisfied and happy with every item they receive from me. I will do
everything necessary to make that happen.
Why
did I decide to have a web site you might ask yourself?
Well
it all started out because I wanted Bloomers / Pantaloons, Knickers for
myself that were cute. (not that others are not, mind you) yet
reasonably priced.... it's that simple and I wanted to show the World
my creations!
So come on in, take a look around and feel free to
contact me if you have any questions.
More on Bloomers
Great Moments
in Bloomer History
The
first flags sent to the army of the Confederacy were presented to the
troops by General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard in person, he then
expressing the hope and confidence that they would become the emblem of
honor and of victory.
The
first flags he received were made from "ladies' dresses" (and their
pink bloomers) by socialites Miss Jenny & Hetty Cary, of
Baltimore and Alexandria, Virginia, at their residences and the
residences of friends, as soon as they could get a description of the
design adopted. One of the Misses Carey, (most probably Jenny) sent the
flag she made to General Beauregard. Her sister presented hers to
General Van Dorn, who was then at Fairfax Court House. Miss Constance
Carey, of Alexandria, sent hers to General Joseph E. Johnston. General
Beauregard sent the flag he received at once to New Orleans for safe
keeping. After the fall of New Orleans, Mrs. Beauregard sent the flag
by a Spanish man-of-war, then lying in the river opposite New Orleans,
to Cuba, where it remained till the close of the war, when it was
returned to General Beauregard, who presented it for safe keeping to
the Washington Artillery, of New Orleans.
5th
Company - Washington Artillery's first flag was given to them just
before the battle of Shiloh by Colonel Walton. Colonel Walton, as it is
told, was returning to New Orleans from Virginia to help with
recruiting when he found out that 5th Company had moved up to Tennessee
at General Beauregard's request, for General Beauregard had said, "The
best place for the men of Louisiana to defend Louisiana is in
Tennessee."
Colonel
Walton was returning with a flag recently adopted by the Army of
Northern Virginia as its battle flag. That pattern had been General
Beauregard's inspired idea after the Battle of Manassas, and was
designed by Porcher Miles who submitted it to the Confederate Congress
for approval as it’s the National flag.
The Confederate Congress rejected it in favor of the one we all know
and love - the Stars and Bars - saying that General Beauregard's battle
flag design looked like suspenders.
In
his post-War Memoirs, General Beauregard gave Colonel Walton credit for
assisting in the design of the battle flag. The flag that Colonel
Walton carried had been given to him by General Beauregard, one of the
first Army of Northern Virginia pattern battle flags made by the ladies
of Richmond, Virginia. The flag was adopted by 5th Company, and was
used for the battle of Shiloh, the battles following Shiloh, and on
through the battle of Perryville, Kentucky.
Following
Perryville, the Army of Tennessee decided to use the Hardee pattern for
their regimental flags, along with the other patterns used out West
which included the (Polk pattern, the Van Dorn pattern, and others).
The Hardee pattern flag the adopted by 5th Company - the same flag used
today by the re-enacting 5th Company - is a copy of the flag used after
the original Army of Northern Virginia flag was retired.
The
first flag was sent to Mobile, Alabama by W.C.T Vaught for the duration
of the War. His relatives kept it safe; it was in Mobile where the
battle honors "Shiloh" and "Perryville" were added. After the War's
end, Vaught's family donated the flag to the Confederate Memorial Hall
on Camp Street in New Orleans where it remained until it was stolen in
the 1970's. It has subsequently resurfaced, but has not been returned
to Confederate Memorial Hall (now officially known as "929 Camp Street
Museum").
5th
Company's first and second flags are pictured under the 5th Company -
Washington Artillery in the Time-Life books about the Civil War.
Maryland,
My Maryland! J.R. Randall
"Maryland, My Maryland," the state song of Maryland, was a favorite
rallying song of the Confederacy. Baltimore poet James Ryder Randell
wrote the words in April 1861 while in Louisiana, after he read the New
Orleans Delta newspaper account of the skirmish in Baltimore between
Massachusetts troops and southern sympathizers in Baltimore. One of
Randell's friends was the first casualty. Jenny Cary first sang the
song to the tune of the German folk song in July 1861, after the First
Battle of Bull Run, in darkness before General Beauregard's tent.
Beauregard's troops gradually joined in the refrain.
The courtship and marriage of Brigadier John Pegram and Hettie Cary
(shown below) was the event of the decade, and one of the most tragic
love stories to come out of the Civil War, capturing the imagination of
the entire country!
https://www.patch.net/misc/cary.html
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