Cheryl Brooks
Revision
Eng 434
November 6, 2013

The Bloomer Costume: Who Else Wears the Pants? The Emerging Woman of the Antebellum Period!

Introduction
For social activist, Amelia Bloomer, bloomers served as a uniform of women’s liberation in America. Whether it was luck or fate, the trend-setting slacks worn for comfort catapulted change in the arena of fashion and politics. Ridiculed by the public, mocked in cartoons, and denied entrance into political meetings, Amelia was admired and encouraged by her liberal-minded husband to be true to herself and to use her talent of writing to change the world. In this paper, I will argue that the Bloomer Costume provided America with a symbolism for comprehending a new kind of woman emerging on the scene during the Antebellum Period. The Bloomer Costume lithograph is one of the few pictures published by Currier and Ives depicting a female exemplifying beauty, strength, confidence, individualism and power, while striving to have a voice in society. At the time that bloomers were worn by Amelia Bloomer, our country began to witness the rise of the woman. Women in America were beginning to speak out for their right to be heard and considered in society. I will offer an interpretation of how the pants worn by Amelia Bloomer helped to fuel the Women’s Movement of the Antebellum Period.

The History of the Bloomer Fashion and Dress Reform
Bloomers are a man-like trouser worn underneath a shorter skirt. Although Amelia Bloomer popularized this fashion, bloomers were designed by Elizabeth Smith Miller. Miller’s design was inspired by a full-length loose pant worn by women in Asian cultures. After seeing Mrs. Miller in these trendy slacks, Amelia Bloomer wrote an article for her own publication, The Lily, to promote the idea of women abandoning their petticoats for bloomers. She suggested that women would find these trousers much more comfortable and lightweight, in comparison to the heavy skirts. Her article was so popular that her newspaper subscribership increased dramatically. In the weeks to follow, Mrs. Bloomer was contacted by women interested in finding out where to purchase the pattern for making bloomers, or where to purchase the pants. Amelia knew that she could use this overnight popularity from the success of the article on dress reform, and the media sensationalism in order to increase the promotion of the two issues that inspired her to start her newspaper: The Temperance Movement and Suffrage.
As a result of the success of the news article on dress reform, Amelia was usually seen on the streets sporting her sensible slacks, and was sure to wear them whenever she spoke publicly about the Temperance Movement and Suffrage. The Temperance movement in the United States was a movement that aimed to curb the consumption of alcohol. Women became involved because the effects of their husband’s state of drunkenness were beginning to trickle into the family structure and stability. Consequently, the rising epidemic of alcoholism led to spousal abuse, family neglect and unemployment. Suffrage is the right to vote in public elections. Unfortunately, the right to vote had not been given to women when bloomers made their way to the forefront of fashion. Women were powerless at a time when they needed to take action to ensure the welfare of themselves and their families. The Lithograph
In this fascinating lithograph, Amelia Bloomer models a sensational new fashion. She appears attractive and comfortable dressed in her unique outfit, as there are no other women shown wearing pants in any of the other prints. The background consists of succulent greenery and roses, adding to the beauty of the picture. Additionally, I think that the rich garden setting implies that Mrs. Bloomer has sustained her virtue and innocence, despite her aggressive pursuit of advocating for women-related social issues. She has a handkerchief in one hand, with a ruffled collar and a bonnet. These accessories and trimmings indicate that in spite of the fact that Mrs. Bloomer is wearing trousers, she stills hold her femininity and virtue in high regard. During the Antebellum period, America was a country of strong religious beliefs and Amelia Bloomer broke barriers by wearing trousers, yet simultaneously, maintained her virtuous presence, by showing very little skin. Besides the trees and flowers, there are no buildings or landscaping shown. Moreover, due to the fact that patriotic symbols are also missing in the background, gives the impression that America had not embraced her dress reform. She stands alone in the daylight, which conveys her independence and strength as a female of her time period. Mrs. Bloomer is giving direct eye contact with the lithograph’s beholder and is demonstrating a confident posture, which shows sureness. She is proud of who she is and what she stands for. She represents that a woman is becoming capable of representing herself in America. Amelia Bloomer’s appearance is a forecast into the future of the emerging women’s crusade. In comparison to other lithographs by Currier and Ives’, most women robed in this timeframe are shown bent over, draped in layers and layers of fabric. In addition, a corset was worn underneath these heavy and voluminous garments. The corset is a woman's tightly fitting undergarment extending from below the chest to the hips, worn to shape a woman’s figure. Women also wore a wire hoop underneath their dresses to make the dress stand out. The dress of this era was quite restrictive, uncomfortable, burdensome and simply impractical. An example of a dress worn during this period that fits this bridled description is a Currier and Ives lithograph entitled, The Grecian Bend/Fifth Avenue. The dress looks extremely uncomfortable and cumbersome to wear as a woman is taking a daily stroll down Fifth Avenue! The woman in the lithographic isn’t facing the painter because she was probably asked to pose while turned to the side. It is possible that the painter thought he would highlight the intricacies of the garment by taking a side view. The profile view also implies that what she was wearing was more important than who she was. Outside of the home, women were seen as mere objects whose relevancy aside from being a housewife, mother and teacher were trivial in society during this timeframe. A woman’s garment was meant to be a showpiece in the eyes of any beholder. Similar to their clothing, a woman’s opinion was not respected, and in many ways, oppressed. Amelia Bloomer was the voice that screamed loudly in American society that women’s rights needed to be considered and addressed. Conclusion
By wearing pants, Amelia Bloomer was conducive in influencing literature, politics and fashion. Mrs. Bloomer’s article on dress reform helped her gain recognition as a woman who started a newspaper that gave women a voice in America. Initially, she stood alone as a leader who spoke volumes simply by changing her clothes when very few women had the courage to. She was the Rosa Parks of a fashion trend. Mrs. Bloomer didn’t stop wearing pants, even after being ridiculed by the media. Consequently, her political voice became stronger and more powerful in America, as she made appearances to public rallies and spoke about social issues wearing her very publicized slacks. The bloomer pant caused an explosion in the world of fashion. As a result of their wide acceptability, they became the inspiration for other styles such as cycling pants, women’s baseball uniforms, work uniforms, knicker-bocker pants, gym uniforms, and rubber pants worn over cotton diapers. Cycling magazine was the first ones to show women wearing bloomers in the United States.
Even today, women’s fashion and social concerns stream in synchronicity. Women are still fighting for rights to be heard as issues arise in the world. Additionally, fashion continues to be used as a symbol of liberation. In the 1970s, women were burning bras in America, and today, Middle-Eastern women are removing veils. The lithograph of Amelia Bloomer shows us a woman who is at the early stages of making a powerful statement with her bold attire. The type of woman portrayed in the daring lithograph is expected to be taken seriously and valued based on her own merit. Currier and Ives gave us an intriguing glimpse into the image of what a strong and eloquent feminine leader would look like in years to come.

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[ 1 ]. Simmons, Linda, Teaching with Documents: Petition of Amelia Bloomer Regarding Suffrage in the West. (The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, n.p, n.d., 2013) 1.
[ 2 ]. The Temperance Movement in the United States. (Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., accessed, 2013) 1.
[ 3 ]. Weston Thomas Pauline, Rational Dress Reform Fashion History. (Fashion-Era.com, accessed 2013)
[ 4 ]. Ibid. 2.
[ 5 ]. Suffrage. (Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., accessed, 2013.) 1.
[ 6 ]. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (Houghton Mifflin Company. 2009.)
[ 7 ]. Weston Thomas, Pauline, Rational Dress Reform Fashion History: Mrs. Bloomer. (Fashion-Era.com, 2013