fbpx
Wikipedia

Bell-bottoms

November 28, 2023

"Bell bottom" redirects here. For the 2019 Indian film, see Bell Bottom (2019 film). For the 2021 Indian film, see Bell Bottom (2021 film).
For the song "Bellbottoms", see Orange (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion album). For the folk song, see Bell Bottom Trousers.

Bell-bottoms (or flares) are a style of trousers that become wider from the knees downward, forming a bell-like shape of the trouser leg.

A woman wearing a pair of bell-bottoms.

History edit

Naval origins edit

 
Illustration of Royal Navy sailors in uniform 1854

In the early 19th century, when a standardized uniform did not yet exist in the U.S. Navy, some sailors adopted a style of wide trousers ending in bell-shaped cuffs.[1][2][3] In 1813, one of the first recorded descriptions of sailors' uniforms, written by Commodore Stephen Decatur, noted that the men on the frigates United States and Macedonia were wearing "glazed canvas hats with stiff brims, decked with streamers of ribbon, blue jackets buttoned loosely over waistcoats, and blue trousers with bell bottoms."[1]

The British Royal Navy had often been a leader in nautical fashion, but bell-bottoms did not become part of the standard uniform until the mid-19th century.[2] These "bell-bottoms" were often just very wide-legged trousers, rather than shaped trousers that flared below the knee.[2] They continued in use as a distinctive feature of the RN rating's "square rig" uniform until replaced by more conventionally flared trousers in 1977.[4]

Although the trousers of the present-day uniform of the United States Navy are still referred to as "bell-bottomed", they simply have large straight legs. The wearer's thigh fills the upper trouser leg, making the bottom of the pants leg appear flared. This style has been popular for many years, perhaps originally because the trouser leg can be rolled up easily, allowing the wearer to work in bare feet, but there is no reliable documentation that confirms a specific timeline or reason for the popularity of bell-bottomed trousers in naval apparel.[2][3]

Some modern naval uniforms continue to use bell-bottomed trousers as a potential life-saving device. The trouser material is made of cotton fibers that swell when wet and can hold air. In the event of a sailor falling overboard or having to abandon ship without a life vest, the bell-bottomed trousers can be quickly removed in the water without having to remove footwear. As part of their survival training, sailors are taught to remove the trousers while floating, tie the leg bottoms in a knot, and then use one of several methods to inflate the trousers with air. The inflated trousers can provide extra flotation while awaiting rescue.[5]

Other traditional usages edit

Bell-bottoms have also been worn for centuries by European carpenters, which is explained by the fact that the widening legs prevent sawdust from falling onto their shoes or feet. Bell-bottoms are still worn by carpenters who decide to spend their time after the apprenticeship as journeymen on the road.

1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s edit

 
1970s bell-bottoms

In the 1960s bell-bottoms became fashionable for both men and women in London and expanded into Europe and North America.[6] Often made of denim, they flared out from the bottom of the calf, and had slightly curved hems and a circumference of 18 inches (46 cm) at the bottom of each leg opening. They were usually worn with Cuban-heeled shoes, clogs, or Chelsea boots. Toni Basil, who was a go-go dancer when the 1964 concert film the T.A.M.I. Show was released, appeared in the film wearing bell-bottoms with a baby doll blouse.

 
Constable Diana Hotchkis of the Queensland Police Service models the new female summer uniform consisting of a light blue safari jacket with dark blue pockets and bell bottom slacks, 1979

Bell-bottoms are mentioned in the popular 1971 music single "Bell Bottom Blues" by blues-rock group Derek and the Dominos.

In the 1970s, bell-bottoms moved back into mainstream fashion via Brian Spiller;[6] Sonny and Cher helped popularize bell-bottoms in the US by wearing them on their popular television show.[6] The pants were typically flared from the knee down, with bottom leg openings of up to twenty-six inches. Made from denim, bright cotton and satin polyester, they were so popular that they became a symbol of the outlandish and colorful style of the decade.[7]

Loon pants (shortened from "balloon pants") were a variant on bell-bottomed trousers, with an increased flare. They were worn occasionally by go-go dancers on the British television music variety show Ready Steady Go! in 1966.[8]

Elephant bells, popular in the mid-to-late 1970s, were similar to loon pants, but were typically made of denim. Elephant bells had a marked flare below the knee, often covering the wearer's shoes. The preferred shoes were platform shoes with soles at least 2 inches (5.1 cm) thick and heels 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) to keep the pants' hems off the ground.

After the rise of punk rock in the late 1970s, bell-bottoms began to become less-fashionable as the decade drew to a close. By 1979, skin-tight trousers or 1950s-style drain pipes were much more in vogue, with bell-bottoms been seen as having had their day, remaining in fashion circa 1967–1979.[9]

A revival of bell-bottoms occurred after bands such as The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and The Charlatans re-introduced them in late 1989 and the early 1990s.

Mid-1990s to 2000s edit

 
German journeymen, right: a carpenter, 2006

In 1996, women's bell-bottoms were reintroduced to the mainstream public, under the name "boot-cut" (or "bootleg"[10]) trousers as the flare was slimmer.[11] By 1999, flare jeans had come into vogue among women,[12] which had a wider, more exaggerated flare than boot-cuts. The boot-cut style ended up dominating the fashion world for 10 years.[13]

By around 2006, the bell-shaped silhouette started to fade as the skinny jean rose in popularity.[14] Sharon Haver, the founder and editor-in-chief of online fashion magazine FocusOnStyle.com, commented "It's as if all the girls wearing premium boot-cut jeans threw them away one day, and the next day began wearing skinny jeans and flats."[15]

Women's boot-cut jeans are tighter at the knee than men's, and flare out from knee to hem. Men's styles are traditionally straight-legged, although the pants came in a more flared style in the early and mid 2000s, but this was optional. The bell-bottoms of the 1960s and 1970s can be distinguished from the flare or boot-cut of the 1990s and 2000s by the tightness of the fabric at the knee.

2020s edit

With the onset of a spectrum of revivalist fashion trends as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is also a mainstream demand of a 1960s and 1970s revival trend, which includes bell-bottoms and flared trousers.[16][17][18][19] Bell-bottoms were still trending on the runway in September 2022,[20] as well as the return to the sailor-type wide leg bell-bottom in 2023.[21]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Ohl, Bob (June 1955). . All Hands. 460: 28–30. Archived from the original on 2007-04-30.
  2. ^ a b c d Dervis (March 23, 2000). . Made to Measure Magazine. Archived from the original on 2006-04-09.
  3. ^ a b Department of the Navy Bureau of Naval Personnel (1981). "History of U.S. Navy Uniforms: Appendix 2". United States Navy Uniform Regulations. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. NavPers 15665D.
  4. ^ Imperial War Museum http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30090214
  5. ^ Navy Swimming and Water Survival Instructor's Manual, NETC P1552/16 (2-05) https://www.public.navy.mil/netc/centers/cnatt/nascweb/model_manager/files/swim/netc_1552/netc1552%2016.pdf[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ a b c Cobb, Nathan (July 19, 1993). "Bell-bottoms back, but the thrill is gone". The Boston Globe.
  7. ^ "Bell-Bottoms Facts". Encyclopedia.com. 2004. Retrieved 2012-10-16.
  8. ^ Bell-bottoms Directory of Writers
  9. ^ Whitmore, Greg (24 January 2015). "The history of flares - in pictures". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  10. ^ Ambrose, Gavin; Harris, Paul (2007). The Visual Dictionary of Fashion Design. Lausanne: AVA Publishing. p. 48. ISBN 978-2-940373-61-1.
  11. ^ Cosgrave, Bronwyn. . Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
  12. ^ "Fashion in the 1990s". Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  13. ^ "Skinny Jean". Time. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  14. ^ "Skinny legs and all: Jeans get slender". USA Today. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  15. ^ . Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  16. ^ "Flared Jeans Used to Scare Me. Now I'm Ready to Rock Them". Vogue. January 3, 2023.
  17. ^ Dirvanauskas, Gabriele (December 31, 2020). "2020's biggest fashion trends".
  18. ^ "These '70s Fashion Trends Are Having a Major Moment". InStyle.
  19. ^ "Why The '60s Is The Next Decade To Watch For Fashion". Nylon. February 6, 2020.
  20. ^ We’re Calling it: Bell Bottoms will Be Everywhere in 2023, https://www.thezoereport.com/fashion/bell-bottoms-spring-summer-2023-trend-nyfw
  21. ^ Vogue UK https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/trouser-trends-2023

External links edit

  •   Media related to Bell-bottoms at Wikimedia Commons

November 28, 2023
bell, bottoms, bell, bottom, redirects, here, 2019, indian, film, bell, bottom, 2019, film, 2021, indian, film, bell, bottom, 2021, film, song, bellbottoms, orange, spencer, blues, explosion, album, folk, song, bell, bottom, trousers, flares, style, trousers, . Bell bottom redirects here For the 2019 Indian film see Bell Bottom 2019 film For the 2021 Indian film see Bell Bottom 2021 film For the song Bellbottoms see Orange Jon Spencer Blues Explosion album For the folk song see Bell Bottom Trousers Bell bottoms or flares are a style of trousers that become wider from the knees downward forming a bell like shape of the trouser leg A woman wearing a pair of bell bottoms Contents 1 History 1 1 Naval origins 1 2 Other traditional usages 1 3 1960s 1970s 1980s and 1990s 1 4 Mid 1990s to 2000s 1 5 2020s 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHistory editNaval origins edit nbsp Illustration of Royal Navy sailors in uniform 1854In the early 19th century when a standardized uniform did not yet exist in the U S Navy some sailors adopted a style of wide trousers ending in bell shaped cuffs 1 2 3 In 1813 one of the first recorded descriptions of sailors uniforms written by Commodore Stephen Decatur noted that the men on the frigates United States and Macedonia were wearing glazed canvas hats with stiff brims decked with streamers of ribbon blue jackets buttoned loosely over waistcoats and blue trousers with bell bottoms 1 The British Royal Navy had often been a leader in nautical fashion but bell bottoms did not become part of the standard uniform until the mid 19th century 2 These bell bottoms were often just very wide legged trousers rather than shaped trousers that flared below the knee 2 They continued in use as a distinctive feature of the RN rating s square rig uniform until replaced by more conventionally flared trousers in 1977 4 Although the trousers of the present day uniform of the United States Navy are still referred to as bell bottomed they simply have large straight legs The wearer s thigh fills the upper trouser leg making the bottom of the pants leg appear flared This style has been popular for many years perhaps originally because the trouser leg can be rolled up easily allowing the wearer to work in bare feet but there is no reliable documentation that confirms a specific timeline or reason for the popularity of bell bottomed trousers in naval apparel 2 3 Some modern naval uniforms continue to use bell bottomed trousers as a potential life saving device The trouser material is made of cotton fibers that swell when wet and can hold air In the event of a sailor falling overboard or having to abandon ship without a life vest the bell bottomed trousers can be quickly removed in the water without having to remove footwear As part of their survival training sailors are taught to remove the trousers while floating tie the leg bottoms in a knot and then use one of several methods to inflate the trousers with air The inflated trousers can provide extra flotation while awaiting rescue 5 Other traditional usages edit Bell bottoms have also been worn for centuries by European carpenters which is explained by the fact that the widening legs prevent sawdust from falling onto their shoes or feet Bell bottoms are still worn by carpenters who decide to spend their time after the apprenticeship as journeymen on the road 1960s 1970s 1980s and 1990s edit nbsp 1970s bell bottomsIn the 1960s bell bottoms became fashionable for both men and women in London and expanded into Europe and North America 6 Often made of denim they flared out from the bottom of the calf and had slightly curved hems and a circumference of 18 inches 46 cm at the bottom of each leg opening They were usually worn with Cuban heeled shoes clogs or Chelsea boots Toni Basil who was a go go dancer when the 1964 concert film the T A M I Show was released appeared in the film wearing bell bottoms with a baby doll blouse nbsp Constable Diana Hotchkis of the Queensland Police Service models the new female summer uniform consisting of a light blue safari jacket with dark blue pockets and bell bottom slacks 1979Bell bottoms are mentioned in the popular 1971 music single Bell Bottom Blues by blues rock group Derek and the Dominos In the 1970s bell bottoms moved back into mainstream fashion via Brian Spiller 6 Sonny and Cher helped popularize bell bottoms in the US by wearing them on their popular television show 6 The pants were typically flared from the knee down with bottom leg openings of up to twenty six inches Made from denim bright cotton and satin polyester they were so popular that they became a symbol of the outlandish and colorful style of the decade 7 Loon pants shortened from balloon pants were a variant on bell bottomed trousers with an increased flare They were worn occasionally by go go dancers on the British television music variety show Ready Steady Go in 1966 8 Elephant bells popular in the mid to late 1970s were similar to loon pants but were typically made of denim Elephant bells had a marked flare below the knee often covering the wearer s shoes The preferred shoes were platform shoes with soles at least 2 inches 5 1 cm thick and heels 4 to 5 inches 10 to 13 cm to keep the pants hems off the ground After the rise of punk rock in the late 1970s bell bottoms began to become less fashionable as the decade drew to a close By 1979 skin tight trousers or 1950s style drain pipes were much more in vogue with bell bottoms been seen as having had their day remaining in fashion circa 1967 1979 9 A revival of bell bottoms occurred after bands such as The Stone Roses Happy Mondays and The Charlatans re introduced them in late 1989 and the early 1990s Mid 1990s to 2000s edit nbsp German journeymen right a carpenter 2006In 1996 women s bell bottoms were reintroduced to the mainstream public under the name boot cut or bootleg 10 trousers as the flare was slimmer 11 By 1999 flare jeans had come into vogue among women 12 which had a wider more exaggerated flare than boot cuts The boot cut style ended up dominating the fashion world for 10 years 13 By around 2006 the bell shaped silhouette started to fade as the skinny jean rose in popularity 14 Sharon Haver the founder and editor in chief of online fashion magazine FocusOnStyle com commented It s as if all the girls wearing premium boot cut jeans threw them away one day and the next day began wearing skinny jeans and flats 15 Women s boot cut jeans are tighter at the knee than men s and flare out from knee to hem Men s styles are traditionally straight legged although the pants came in a more flared style in the early and mid 2000s but this was optional The bell bottoms of the 1960s and 1970s can be distinguished from the flare or boot cut of the 1990s and 2000s by the tightness of the fabric at the knee 2020s edit With the onset of a spectrum of revivalist fashion trends as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic there is also a mainstream demand of a 1960s and 1970s revival trend which includes bell bottoms and flared trousers 16 17 18 19 Bell bottoms were still trending on the runway in September 2022 20 as well as the return to the sailor type wide leg bell bottom in 2023 21 See also editPhat pants Wide leg jeans Bell sleeveReferences edit a b Ohl Bob June 1955 Have Bell Bottoms Will Travel All Hands 460 28 30 Archived from the original on 2007 04 30 a b c d Dervis March 23 2000 Bell Bottom Blues Made to Measure Magazine Archived from the original on 2006 04 09 a b Department of the Navy Bureau of Naval Personnel 1981 History of U S Navy Uniforms Appendix 2 United States Navy Uniform Regulations Washington DC US Government Printing Office NavPers 15665D Imperial War Museum http www iwm org uk collections item object 30090214 Navy Swimming and Water Survival Instructor s Manual NETC P1552 16 2 05 https www public navy mil netc centers cnatt nascweb model manager files swim netc 1552 netc1552 2016 pdf permanent dead link a b c Cobb Nathan July 19 1993 Bell bottoms back but the thrill is gone The Boston Globe Bell Bottoms Facts Encyclopedia com 2004 Retrieved 2012 10 16 Bell bottoms Directory of Writers Whitmore Greg 24 January 2015 The history of flares in pictures The Guardian Retrieved 19 December 2022 Ambrose Gavin Harris Paul 2007 The Visual Dictionary of Fashion Design Lausanne AVA Publishing p 48 ISBN 978 2 940373 61 1 Cosgrave Bronwyn Fashions Year In Review 1996 Encyclopaedia Britannica Archived from the original on 20 October 2014 Fashion in the 1990s Retrieved 19 June 2014 Skinny Jean Time Retrieved 19 June 2014 Skinny legs and all Jeans get slender USA Today Retrieved 19 June 2014 Wearer beware of mom jeans Archived from the original on 14 July 2014 Retrieved 19 June 2014 Flared Jeans Used to Scare Me Now I m Ready to Rock Them Vogue January 3 2023 Dirvanauskas Gabriele December 31 2020 2020 s biggest fashion trends These 70s Fashion Trends Are Having a Major Moment InStyle Why The 60s Is The Next Decade To Watch For Fashion Nylon February 6 2020 We re Calling it Bell Bottoms will Be Everywhere in 2023 https www thezoereport com fashion bell bottoms spring summer 2023 trend nyfw Vogue UK https www vogue co uk fashion article trouser trends 2023External links edit nbsp Media related to Bell bottoms at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bell bottoms amp oldid 1185723391, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.