Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-16
THE "BLOOMER, COSTUME.
An Interesting Account of It's Origin
by Mrs. BIOOmcr.

An Interesting Account of It's Origin
by Mrs. BIOOmcr.
From the Literary Digest.
One of the bcst-abused women of her day,
and perhaps one of the least understood and
most misrepresented, was Amelia Bloomer,
after whom the short dress for women,
known as the "Bloomer costume" was
named. The whole story concerning this
dress told by Mrs. Bloomer some years
ago in the Chicago Tribune, and is in part
as follows:
I'm January or February 1851, an article
appeared editorially in the Seneca County
Courier Seneca Falls, y. v, On Female At
tire, in which the writer showed up the in
convenience unhealthfulness and discom-
fort of womans dress, and advocated a
change to Turkish pantaloonS and a skirt
reaching little below the knee.
AT the time, l was publishing a monthly
paper in the same place devoted to the in
terestS of woman, temperance and Woman's
rights being the principal subjects. AS the
editor of the Courier Was opposed to us on
the Woman'S rights question, this article of
mis- gave me an opportunity TO score him
one on having gone so far ahead of US
TO advocate our wearing pantaloonS, and in
my next issue l noticed him and his pro-
posed style in a half-serious, half playful
article of some length. He took up the SUBJ
JcCt again and expressed surprise that /
should treat SO important a matter with
levity. / replied to MIN more seriously than
before, fully indorsing and approving his
views on the subject of womans costume.
About this time, when the readers of the
Lily and the Courier were interested in and
excited over the discussion, Elizabet Smith
Miller, daughter of the Hon. Gerrit Smith OF
Peterboro y. y, appeared on the streets
OF our village dressed in short skirts and
full Turkish trousers. She came on a visit
to her cousin, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who
was then resident of Seneca Falls. Mrs.
Miller had been wearing the costume some
months home a nlI
Just how she came to adopt it | have for
gotten, If l ever knew. But she wore il
with the fun sanction and approval of her
rather and husband. During her fathers
term in Congress she was in WASHINGTON
and the papers of that city described her
appearance on the streets in the short cos
tune.
A few days after Mrs. Niler's arrival in
Seneca Falls Mrs. Stanton came out in a
dress made in Mrs. Miller's style She
walked our streets in a skirt that came a
little above the knees, and trousers of the
same material-biack satin. Having had part
IN the discussion of the dress question il
seemed proper that | should practice as I
preached, and as the Courier man advised:
and so a few days later |, too donned The
new costume and in the next issue of nv
paper announced that fact to nv readers
AT the outset, l had no idea of fully aion,-
ing the style; no thought of setting fash
ION; no thought that my action would create
an excitement throughout the civilized
world, and give to the style nv name and
the credit due Mrs Miller. This was all
me work OF the press. L stood amazed at
Ihe Iurore had unwittingly caused The
New York Tribune contained the first ro
ice 1 saw of my action. Other PAPERS
caught it up and handed il about NV ey-
changes all had something to say. Some
praised and some blamed. some commented
and some ridculed and condemned Bloom
erlsm, 'BloomeriteS and Boomers were
the heading of many an article item and
squlb; and finally some oneI don't know
ind
wrote the 'Bioomer Costume and the name
has continued to cling to the short dress in
spite of my repeatedly disclaiming all right
to il and giving Mrs. Miller's name as thar
OF the originator or the first to wear such
dress in public. Had she not come TO us in
that style, 1t is not probable that either Mrs
Stanton or myself would have donned II
My paper had many contributions on the
subject of dress, and that question was for
some time kept before my readers. Mrs
stanton was frequent contributor and
ably defended the new style She continued
10 wear 1t at home and abroad, on the lee
ture platform and in the social parIor for
two or three years; and then the pressure
brought to bear upon her by her father and
other friends was SO great that she finally
yielded to their wishes and returned to long
skirts. 9
Lucy Stone of the Woman's Journal
adopted and wore the dress for MANY wears
on all occasions; but she. too, with advance
ing years, saw fit to return to the old styIe
We all felt that the dress was drawing A.
tentlon from what We thought of far
greater lmportance-the question of wo-
mans right to better education, to a wider
held OF employment, to better remuneration
for her labor. and to the ballot for the pro
lection of her rights. In the minds of some
people, the short dress and woman's rights
were inseparably connected. With us. the
dress was but an incident, and we were NOT
willing to sacrifice greater questions to il
l have not worn the shor, IreSs
1or thlrty years, and it does seem as though
in that time the interest concerning it must
have uled out My reasons for abandoning
have in substance stated above"