Annie Jenness Miller

• Name — Anna Jenness Miller • Born — 28 January 1859 • Birthplace — New Hampshire, United States • Died — 1935 8 • Place of death — Washington, D.C., United States • Occupation — Clothing designer, Author, Lecturer • Spouse — Conrad Miller (m. 1884)

Miller's father was Solomon Jenness and her mother was Susan Wendell Jenness, both New England natives. She was also descended from the family of Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr and Wendell Phillips. Miller was born in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in 1859. Although she was born in New Hampshire, she moved to Boston and stayed there until she married Conrad Miller in 1884. Before she was married, she was known in Boston as a "Women in Letters", a prestigious title in Boston, Massachusetts. This included women such as Louisa May Alcott, Julia Ward Howe, Susan Paul, Maria Stewart, and Lucy Stone. Women in Letters were activists, writers, and strove for positive changes in social justice.

Dress reform is defined as wearing and designing clothing that is more practical and more comfortable than fashion during a specific time period. During the mid to late 1800s, Victorian dress reform also meant a rise in feminism, athletic wear, and undergarments. Dress reformers, such as Annie Miller, promoted a larger waist bodice called an emancipation waist. The emancipation waist was still tight however, it was not a corset. Dress reformers were trying to eliminate the need for always wearing corsets to opt for more comfortable and more practical daily attire. More effective and enjoyable undergarments were to follow after the achievement of the emancipation waist due to the success and attention it received by many reformers, activists, and even men enjoyed wearing the "reform" bodices in the winter under their clothing. • Illustration — Advertisement for undergarments from George Frost & Co. Another iconic article of clothing that was invented during this time was called the bloomers suit. The bloomers suit was renamed to just bloomers. Bloomers were loose pants that bunched up at the bottom and usually paired with a dress or skirt. Women who wore this typically were victims of harassment in public. Miller also wrote a book, Mother and Babe that included plans, patterns, and ideas for better clothing for babies.