Bloomers are an article of clothing
invented by
Amelia Bloomer to change the way women
dressed. The earliest known bloomers were
like baggy pants (worn below a skirt), to
preserve Victorian decency while being less
of a hindrance to women's activities than
the long full skirts of the period (see
Victorian dress reform).
In the 20th-century, they became gym shorts
for girls to wear.
The modern Japanese
version of bloomers has the entire legs
exposed and are pronounce burûmâ:
- The
Dragon Ball character Bulma is named
after bloomers.
- The
Street Fighter character
Sakura Kasugano wears red bloomers
under her
sailor fuku. Most Westerners confuse
bloomers with panties since their
designs are almost the same in Japan,
but bloomers are a bit thicker and come
in bold colors.