Some say these oversized pants are “not funny.” Why are some women attracted to them?

They are as big as paper lanterns. They can reach the ankles or arrive at two large puffballs around the upper thigh. They may not be sexy to anyone, but the people who wear it are wearing it are wearing it. That's a kind of point.

“It's a bit rebellious,” says Charlie Hornerston, founder of Los Angeles-based label Charlie Beads, who has sold over 2,000 of these pants known as Bloomers over the past 18 months.

Hourston's design ($68) is made from fabrics such as French terry, pinstripe cotton and gingham, and is a short Lolita-esque variety. Other riffs, shaped like hot pants, include Terry Cross Bloomers by Susie Condy and velvet cuts from Colleen Allen, two New York City labels.

Customers often point out that their romantic partners may not understand their appearance or find them unattractive, said Houtton, 25. She considers it to be one of the selling points of her design. “Even if they're not flattering, they're empowering.”

Though it may be split, Bloomers have reached a new saturation point this season, pounding racks at mall chain stores, wafting up luxury runways, and appearing on social media feeds of independent clothing labels such as Lauren Manujean and Chelsea Mark. They range in prices ranging from $30 to $6,000 or more, as in the case of the Urban Outfitters Butter Yellow Pair.

Like those wearing oversized winter sweaters, many women who were attracted to these pants say they want the femininity of men's gaze. Some consider telegraphing certain intellectual outlooks about fashion.

“They have more personality than minimal or clean,” said Gaia Repossi, creative director of luxury jewelry label Repossi. In January, 39-year-old Repossi wore a huge pair of Alaïa's pants ($6,400) for dinner hosted by the brand.

In a recent scroll on social media, Sandeep Salter, 37, was surprised to see a first-fashion version of Bloomer flashing all over the screen. This style was familiar to Ms. Salter, owner of Salter House. This is a Brooklyn boutique that sells household goods and clothing that came to define Bo Peep Aesthetic in a particular city.

Since 2021, her store has found ut-treated bloomer pants that hold the ankle as part of the company's fashion label. Its design is popular with workers at Stishing House, a Hudson Valley restaurant with a similar cottage-chic sensibility.

Restaurant Feast Director Kaitlin Pearce said she wears her multiple times a week for dinner service and can evoke an unexpected mix of emotions. “I'm a lesbian woman who likes tomboys, but I like to wear frilled clothes at work,” she said.

For Pierce, 35, trousers added charm for feminist history.

The shape comes from Ottoman pants that became popular among European women in the mid-19th century, but in the United States, clothing is most closely related to the safragist Amelia Bloomer, said Matthew Yokoboski, senior curator of fashion and material culture at the Brooklyn Museum.

Inspired by Ms. Bloomer, women began wearing pants under short skirts during their campaign as a way to escape the standard long crinoline. “They were looking for more equality and somehow began to link freedom of clothing with freedom of choice,” Yokoboski said. He recognized this style as one of the first feminist designs.

The most dramatic of bloomers today is very similar to those worn by Bloomer himself. The huge bottom, often called balloon pants, is a fabric with an excess amount of fabric to create an exaggerated silhouette that was the last popular in the 1980s.

Alaïa designer Pieter Mulier is in charge of the most extreme balloon pants featured as part of the Spring 2025 runway show. Many of them were combined with cropped tube tops and minimal makeup. Only Murie's huge pants designs are shining the spotlight.

Nordstrom quickly sells out the taffeta version of the French label's balloon pants, priced at $2,150. Ricky des Sole, fashion director and the store's vice president, said customers were drawn to their novelty “you're talking to them.”

This shape can also be purchased at a more accessible price range from brands such as Free People and Anthropologie, which share the parent company. In the former, the brand's antique you forever bloomer pants has been “exploding,” according to the company's chief creative officer, Anna Hertle. The design, first introduced last year, is now available in half a dozen colors.

Chelsea Mark, whose name is based in Los Angeles, calls her the “Rain Joggers” style. Mac says that while it's visually similar to an ankle grazing skirt, it offers more comfort and ease of movement, making it attractive.

“In my own twist, modern way, I wanted to look feminine like I was wearing a big skirt, but I needed the mobility of my pants,” said Mack, 40.

The ethics behind shopping reports. When reporters write about products, they never accept products, money, or favors from the brand. You have not earned any fees for purchases purchased from this article.