What do you think about when you hear the word “bloomers?” People who have not matured quite as rapidly as their peers are sometimes described as “late bloomers.” Then, there is the expression, “Have you lost your blooming mind?” Of course, in the spring, we have “blooming flowers.” In the “olde” days, people wore … you guessed it: bloomers!
Photos of antique bloomers taken by James Cummings
Bloomers are garments composed of two separate, finished leg units, held together by a waistband that closes with one button. The inner crotch is completely open. The pair of bloomers that I recently acquired is marked on the back with one initial, a “T,” embroidered with black thread. After all, one would not want one’s bloomers misplaced on Wash Day!
Bloomers were a practical answer, when one needed to use the “necessary room.” They assisted with modesty, and aided the goal of staying warm. During the nineteenth century, the bathroom would be the “outhouse,” a small facility, made of wood, that was set at a distance from the main dwelling.
If one looks at salvaged boards from these units, one can see that more than one human being could be accommodated at the same time. I have heard these boards described as “three-holers” and they still sell them in antique shops, although I have not heard of anyone recently building an outhouse.
In times of gastro-intestinal illness, to wear easily manipulated garments was probably a pragmatic thing to do. Also, in the New England countryside, it can get pretty chilly at night, so the warmth of human companionship was probably welcome. My theory is that bloomers were designed to allow easier use of the “facilities.”
These particular bloomers would fit someone with about a 26″ waist, and they are fairly short, indicating that they probably belonged to a child.
The construction is quite fancy for such a utilitarian garment that would be worn under a dress. They were kind of a combination of the short “undies” we know today, and the idea of wearing an additional “slip.” The legs on these sport rows of pintucks, followed by elaborate Drawn Thread embroidery. Each of these treatments encircle the bottom of each leg. Additionally, the bottom is finished with lace. The size of the undergarment and its embellishments seem to serve as proof that these bloomers belonged to a little girl.
I hope that you have enjoyed seeing this “piece of the past.”
To read my latest “Pieces of the Past” column in The Quilter magazine, which focuses on European Bluework, this time, don’t forget to pick up a copy of the November 2007 issue, coming to a store near you, in early September.
Until next time,
Patricia Cummings
