Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

Bloomers (Textile/Mode)

English translation:

Bloomers

Added to glossary by kashew
Sep 2, 2008 19:33
16 yrs ago
4 viewers *
French term

bloomers

French to English Other Textiles / Clothing / Fashion
Hi,

I have a document regarding a ladies' clothing collection and am not sure exactly what is meant by "bloomers" in French. Here's the full sentence:

Une collection composée de fondamentaux (robes, **bloomers** et autres jupes…) et petites frivolités (cols plastron, fraises, pattes à épaule, chevillières…).

Any help would be very welcome.

Many thanks : )
Change log

Sep 3, 2008 07:55: kashew Created KOG entry

Sep 3, 2008 07:56: kashew changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/730214">kashew's</a> old entry - "bloomers"" to ""bloomers""

Sep 3, 2008 08:28: kashew changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/730214">kashew's</a> old entry - "Bloomers (Fashion)"" to ""Bloomers""

Discussion

Gayle Wallimann Sep 2, 2008:
copy of discussion from the request for context bo kashew: 7:38pm Sep 2, 2008: I thought "bloomers" was an English item of ladies' clothing!! You, or your grandmother ought to know! [Hide]
margaret caulfield: 7:44pm Sep 2, 2008: "Bloomers" is a word that was adopted from English by the French, kashew, as we adopted "chiffon", "foi-gras", etc. [Hide]
margaret caulfield: 7:57pm Sep 2, 2008: Georgia. I'd say you were typing your question to me while I was typing my added note (pls see below). YES! Culottes (which are baggy anyway) can also be right! [Hide]
margaret caulfield: 8:00pm Sep 2, 2008: I got your changed answer, kashew, and I really have had a good laugh! Keep up your sense of humour!! [Hide]
1045: 8:17pm Sep 2, 2008: http://www.bigcostumes.com/hazel-doc/images/white bloomers.....
http://www.boutique.co.uk/acatalog/0872_Bloomers.gif

[Hide]
1045: 8:17pm Sep 2, 2008: The original bloomers were an article of women's clothing invented by Elizabeth Smith Miller of Peterboro, N.Y. but popularized by Amelia Jenks Bloomer in the early 1850s. They were long baggy pants narrowing to a cuff at the ankles (worn below a skirt), intended to preserve Victorian decency while being less of a hindrance to women's activities than the long full skirts of the period. “Bloomers” were named after Ms. Bloomer who introduced them in Seneca Falls, N.Y. on July 19, 1848. [Hide]

Proposed translations

+4
18 mins
Selected

bloomers

What else?

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Note added at 19 mins (2008-09-02 19:52:50 GMT)
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DON'T MISS THE REFERENCE!
IT'S DELIGHTFUL!
Peer comment(s):

neutral margaret caulfield : Good reference, kashew, but I doubt they're used nowadays! They are exactly what was used at the beginning of the last century, as I said!
2 mins
agree Bourth (X) : Baggy panties, baggy panties? Makes me think, in all my wickedness, of the 'soubrette française', which has nothing to do with 'soubresaut', however much tumbling may be involved.
18 mins
agree Jean-Claude Gouin
23 mins
agree Katarina Peters
1 hr
agree Mary Carroll Richer LaFlèche : we used bloomers in gym at school in the 1970s, they're not that old!!Love the ref..
8 hrs
Thanks a lot.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "After all the discussion I went with bloomers in the end! Thanks Kashew and and thanks to everyone for your amusing links and comments ! : )"
+2
3 mins

baggy trousers

This is what ladies' baggy "pants" were called in English at the beginning of last century, but nowadays they are "baggy trousers", although I am sure some very old ladies would still call her panties "bloomers" (in English).

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Note added at 19 mins (2008-09-02 19:52:50 GMT)
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They can also be calle "culottes" (in English), although they went out of style some time ago. But it could be as well!
Note from asker:
Hi Margaret, Do you think these might be translated as culottes?
Peer comment(s):

agree Sheila Wilson : There's never anything new in fashion - it just goes round in circles
8 mins
Thanks, Sheila
neutral kashew : Look at the reference - it made my evening!
8 mins
Believe me, kashew. At least I certainly hope women are not still wearing "baggy panties"!
agree Jean-Louis S. : culottes bouffantes...
27 mins
Thank you, jlsjr
Something went wrong...
+2
42 mins

Two possibilities, depending on the period: bloomers or bloomer shorts

If the men's clothing terms are any indication, then this may well be about different period costumes (or attire), what with fraise meaning ruff (16th cen), for example. In that case bloomers are simply bloomers, IMO. (1848, invented by Amelia Bloomer)
Pictures:
http://dressreform.tripod.com/construction.html

However, if "fraise" now turns out to refer to something modern, then we'd be talking about:

Bloomer shorts

--worn by the wee ones and big girls alike (see photos at reference sites).

http://www.asos.com/No-Romeo/No-Romeo-Bloomer-Shorts/Prod/pg...

http://www.shopstyle.co.uk/browse/shorts/Miss-Selfridge#0_57

PS: if bloomers is the right answer, credit/points goes to Kashew, of course!


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 48 mins (2008-09-02 20:21:19 GMT)
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Misread, sorry: the "fraise", etc are of course for women, not men -- but that doesn't change my answer!
Peer comment(s):

agree kashew : The shorts too - more or less sexy?
9 mins
Thanks, Kashew! Don't think that Ms Bloomer and her suffragette friends exactly had this in mind...
agree Bourth (X) : I like bloomer shorts (but my legs don't look good in them).
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
31 mins

bloomers

I don't actually know what they are referring to here, but I think "bloomers" is equally as ambiguous in English as in French, from what I've just seen on the Ouèbbhe.

In both languages they can be either "harem pants" (though possibly not with the crutch down to the knees as is the fashion), which is what the original bloomers were 150 years ago, or baggy shorts elasticated at the cuff which came about half way down the thigh, which is what girls wore for sports activities when I was a boy, in the 1960s, though they rapidly disappeared (from the fashion scene, rest assured, not from the girls). These "short" bloomers were generally blue and baggy, to conceal any curvaceousness. A total waste of time since we were none of us more than 9 or 10 at the time, unless the teaching staff were more aware of pedophilia in years previous than they were subsequently.

I suspect the "bloomers" in your text are more akin to these "gym bloomers", though prob. not elasticated at the cuff.

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Note added at 59 mins (2008-09-02 20:33:02 GMT)
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bloomers are a great alternative to wear under those short dresses, so you dont look like a slut.(that was kinda harsh, some girls can pull it off, ...
xalamodex.blogspot.com/2008/03/bloomers.html

Al'heure où les femmes hesitent entre la culotte et le string, le retour du mini bloomer se prépare doucement.
Sexy sans être vulgaire, confortable sans être mémére, le bloomer semble être l'une des meilleures options. Vous pouvez en découvrir sur [email protected]
http://forum.elle.fr/htm2/ni-string-ni-culotte-des-bloomers,...

Go see http://www.mamzellemargot.com/accueil/

On les confondrait presque avec des sous-vêtements et pourtant, les bloomers et autres micro créations se portent bien de jour… Autant dire qu'ils ne pareront pas les gambettes de toutes les fashionistas, même les plus ardues !
Plus aisés à porter, les bloomers ont fait une entrée fracassante sur le podium de Stella McCartney. Paré d'imprimés géométriques vert émeraude et bleu clair, le bloomer s'impose comme le support de toutes le fantaisies. Modeuses téméraires, la version moderne de la culotte courte vous attend dans sa version à pois chez Sisley et dans un tartan estival chez New Look. On peut toutefois commencer tout en douceur avec le bloomer beige créé par Maje pour la Redoute
http://www.linternaute.com/femmes/luxe_mode/tendances/0703-m... (with photo)

Other than looking a little tired around the edges, McCartney comes across as warm, funny, and stylish (today in white silk bloomers of her own design). ...
nymag.com/nymetro/shopping/fashion/features/n_7580/

In a different style (with photo also):
Geishas, dominatrixes, disco divas and even Marilyn Monroe - Madonna has imitated them all.
But with her 50th birthday approaching, it appears that the Material Girl is now plundering the more staid Victorian era for fashion inspiration.
She stepped out after her daily workout session yesterday wearing cut-off leggings, a T-shirt - and a roomy pair of pink and white lace-trimmed bloomers.
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1024722/Bloo...

A month or so ago, Victoria Beckham left the house in a strange ensemble including a pair of Chanel Bloomers which looked more Michael Jackson than Haute Couture. Nevertheless, this Victoria Beckham wannabe saw the beauty in this outfit and got a custom made one to look exactly like that of Victoria Beckham's
queenoftheposhandbroke.blogspot.com/2007_08_0...
Peer comment(s):

neutral margaret caulfield : Although I feel obliged to give you a "neutral", Bourth, you have also made me laugh a lot. I was about that age then and I NEVER WORE BLOOMERS! I would have run away from home first!
4 mins
It's not too late to make up for lost time. "Like a virgin, wearing bloomers for the very first time ..."
agree rkillings : If you hadn't pursued your reseach interest to such an extent, Alex, you could have been the first to post this answer. Just goes to show: you really aren't in this for the KudoZ points!
2 hrs
Defeatist! I might get the points yet! When I get into something like bloomers, I stick at it.
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

10 mins
Reference:

Merci pour vos compliments sur les country bloomers. ... Voilà, j'espère que vous ferez plein de bloomers...pour contenter petits et grands et surtout que ...
journaldunatelier.over-blog.com/article-2777863.html - 73k -
Something went wrong...
7 mins
Reference:

www.boutique.co.uk/acatalog/0804A_Bloomers.gif

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Note added at 11 mins (2008-09-02 19:44:48 GMT)
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Interesting research!
Something went wrong...
24 mins
Reference:

A mon avis, c'est une sorte de short gonflant.
En règle générale, c'est aux bébés que l'on met des bloomers...Petite culotte froufrou très mimi sous la robe...
Something went wrong...
40 mins
42 mins
Reference:

http://www.bigcostumes.com/hazel-doc/images/white bloomers.j...

http://www.boutique.co.uk/acatalog/0872_Bloomers.gif

The original bloomers were an article of women's clothing invented by Elizabeth Smith Miller of Peterboro, N.Y. but popularized by Amelia Jenks Bloomer in the early 1850s. They were long baggy pants narrowing to a cuff at the ankles (worn below a skirt), intended to preserve Victorian decency while being less of a hindrance to women's activities than the long full skirts of the period. “Bloomers” were named after Ms. Bloomer who introduced them in Seneca Falls, N.Y. on July 19, 1848.
Something went wrong...
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