I see London, I see France, I see a new exhibit in Denver where you can see lots of underpants.
This Friday, the Center for Colorado Women’s History (1310 Bannock St., Denver) will debut a cheeky new show exploring the evolution of female undergarments.
The exhibit, entitled “Rumors of Bloomers,” is not simply about fashion. It “tasks visitors with considering how women’s undergarments have liberated or controlled, enhanced or concealed, supported or restricted,” per a statement.
Curators hope attendees will walk away with an understanding of underwear’s social impact and the history of the women who wore it in its various forms.
Bloomers, for example, became a harbinger of women’s rights in the mid-1800s, as they were designed for comfort and embraced to meet the demands of increasingly mobile women. They’re named for suffragist Amelia Bloomer.
The exhibit also features the history of corsetry with works by Beatrice Lewis, a Black dressmaker in Denver who specialized in the shapely styling; stories of women who bucked fashion norms; and a deep dive into the Mother Hubbard dress, which earned salacious associations with sex workers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Displays showcase vintage swim costumes and petticoats, and many never-before-displayed items from the History Colorado Collection.
“’Rumors of Bloomers’ is an exciting example of the Center for Colorado Women’s History’s commitment to display collection items that explore the nuances of womanhood,” said Susan Fries, deputy community museums officer and director of the Center for Colorado Women’s History. “By displaying these objects that are so closely tied to the experiences of those who identify as women we forge a better understanding of the barriers, opportunities, and decisions that guided their lives.”
“Rumors of Bloomers” runs Friday through March 30, 2025. Admission to the exhibit is included in the price of entry to the Colorado Center for Women’s History ($7 for adults, $5 for seniors, free for anyone 18 years and younger). Museum-goers can also book a guided tour of the exhibit ($15-$20), which happens on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m.
