27 March 2005
Bloomers
I haven't been posting pictures of my sewing projects lately, but here's one I'm fairly psyched about: bloomers. Curvy chicks like me sometimes have a chafing problem when wearing skirts. Bike shorts are a popular solution, but I think those things are an intolerable vestige of 80s fashion.
My friend Kristie has been wearing adorable bloomers as pants for a few years now, from Bloomers4U.com. I was inspired, but like most of my projects, this one stewed for a while before I actually created a garment. In the course of my research, I learned some fun facts about bloomers:
- Western women historically have not worn bifurcated undergarments, for some anthropologically obvious reasons: easy access by men, and the fear of sexual stimulation by fabric (a hysterical "disorder"). Some even claimed that pants, when worn by a woman, had the power to make her gay.
- Bloomers are named after Amelia Bloomer, a women's rights advocate who was generally regarded as a weirdo, even by other feminists. She didn't invent them, however; she got the idea from Fanny Wright.
- Bifurcated undergarments, with ladies' pants hot on their heels, finally became acceptable with the invention of the bicycle. Unlike a horse, a bicycle cannot be ridden sidesaddle. But naturally there was also some worry that bicycles, too, might give women entirely too much enjoyment (i.e., more than none), Down There.
Finally, this weekend, I drafted a pattern and sewed two pairs. Mine are fitted around the hips and loose around the legs, following these instructions for drafting culottes from a straight skirt sloper. As it happens, I have a straight skirt sloper that I made for my pattern drafting class.
The first pair of bloomers was a proof out of muslin, short and plain. The second pair is knee-length, out of stretchy perforated fabric (the kind that used to be popular for muscle shirts), with reflective silver elastic gathered at the bottom. You can check them out here. They're super comfy and kinda sporty!
