BLOOMER

bloomer, amelia jenks (1818-1894), american dress-reformer and women's rights advocate, was born at homer, new york, on the 27th of may 1818. after her marriage in 1840 she established a periodical called _the lily_, which had some success. in 1849 she took up the idea--previously originated by mrs elizabeth smith miller--of a reform in woman's dress, and the wearing of a short skirt, with loose trousers, gathered round the ankles. the name of "bloomers" gradually became popularly attached to any divided-skirt or knickerbocker dress for women. until her death on the 30th of december 1894 mrs bloomer took a prominent part in the temperance campaign and in that for woman's suffrage.