“Do you know what I really want? A pair of bloomers.”
That was it. It was as if a chemical reaction began to simmer in my brain. Bloomers, the one piece missing from my wardrobe that I absolutely, unequivocally had to own, all because of a friend’s nonchalant comment.
Did I ever get my hands on the perfect pair? Well, no. Soon after said conversation, which took place in a musky room of a Portobello pub back in December, bloomers were swept up in the trends cycle.
Come spring, the befrilled undergarments were a Gen Z staple. You’ll have no doubt spotted a twee gingham pair out and about in East London’s cool-girl haunts. Or perhaps a lace-trimmed rendition (most probably courtesy of Urban Outfitters) flouncing down the King’s Road. Bloomers stepped into the limelight, quenching the consumer habits of kitsch-coveting, twenty-something-year-olds across the city.
The feminine silhouettes were developed in the 19th century, a time when women’s wardrobes were veritable prisons of corsets and crinolines. Popularised by feminist Amelia Jenks Bloomer, who entered the scene in the 1850s wearing the trousers that puffed out at the knees like clouds of defiance, the not-so-humble bloomer became a comfortable alternative to customary heavyweight dresses of the period.
The bloomer broke free of austere Victorian dress codes. They were typically worn with a short jacket and a knee-length skirt, offering a practical underlayer for the wearer, who now had the ability to move with ease. A radical relic of fashion.
Today, the opposite is true. Influencers and internet muses such as Iris Law and Hailey Bieber have brought the undergarment to the masses, styling the piece as they are, for all to see, spectate and subsequently dig through their grandmother’s attic in the hope of finding a pair.
The garment also leans neatly into the SS24 underwear-as-outerwear trend, which incorporates the proud display of intimates from bras to pants into everyday dressing. Ottolinger, Ann Demeulemeester, Natasha Zinko, Gucci and Miu Miu, who famously sent Emma Corrin down the runway in crystal-clad hot pants layered over tights, have all backed the deliciously feminine fad. It was only time that the visible cheeky-cut evolved into the visible bloomer that subtly puffed out against the patriarchy.
Considering that bloomers are an amalgamation of Gen Z trends, their ascension up the trend ranks was inevitable. Coquette to their core with a Victoriana twist and steeped in vintage motifs, the ruffled shorts quickly came to dominate the fashionscape.
Simone Rocha sent pale peach, tulle bloomers down her SS24 runway. Ditsy floral renditions appeared within Dior’s SS23 collections. Kiko Kostadinov introduced the design into the menswear sphere for the brand’s SS23 display.
The high street was quick to catch on. Bohemian brands from Free People to Kimchi introduced knicker-esque pieces into their online collections, via frothy lace styles and picnic-ready gingham prints. Pinterest’s Summer Trend Report 2024 noted that the online search for gingham shorts had rocketed by 770 per cent since last year. No doubt, the kuwaii bloomer, and its legion of It-girl backers, played a part.
© Kevin KaneYet, as with all micro-trends, bloomers became too popular. Almost to the point that wearing them, especially a checked pair, would signal the wearer as a mindless trends follower.
This irked me. Bloomers have been around for 200 years, and only now run the risk of becoming imminently passé? When I want a pair? Unfortunate timing.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love the ballooning bottoms. But I’d suggest putting in the effort to find a true vintage, pure cotton, knee-skimming pair. Shelve the readily-available (dare we say overdone) gingham renditions. As cute as they are, their shelf life is limited. Plus, over time the elasticated seams will wear and you’ll be left with a pair of worn-out boxers that should belong in the top drawer of a teenage boy.
© ImaxtreeInstead, I’d encourage all to embrace their inner pirate with a pair of breathable, capri-style alternatives. The perfect blend of Lolita whimsicality and Regency romance, vintage pantalettes offer a historical quality that is yet to fall out of favour anytime soon.
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Think American Suffragette. Think Keira Knightly in Pirates of the Caribbean. Think Steampunk. Want to cheat the micro trend cycle? Avoid the polyester.
In a world that often feels like it’s speeding towards uniformity, bloomers remind us to embrace the quirks and eccentricities that make fashion what it is. And once I unearth my dream pair, I’ll be wearing them year-in, year-out regardless of what the TikTok girlies think.
