Bell Bottoms

Believe it or not, bell bottoms were originally designed as a functional piece of clothing. Pants that flare out at the cuffs were traditionally part of a sailor’s wardrobe and a standard-issue garment for men in the Navy. What’s the logic behind the bell bottom? The wide leg allowed an overboard sailor to pull their pants off over their boots. And everyone knows it’s easier to swim once you take off your pants. The resourceful sailor could then blow air into their pants, creating a DIY flotation device.

During the advent of the 1960s counterculture, many artists, political radicals, and nonconformists frequented Army and Navy surplus stores to shop for affordable clothing. There, they discovered the denim bell bottom. And so began the bell bottom’s odd transition from a functional piece of military clothing to a symbol of the peace-loving hippie community whose anti-war protests helped shape the ’60s. When the trend began, many wearers modified their own pants to make them even wider, or embroidered designs into the fabric. As the pants became more popular, clothing manufacturers got onboard and began producing new, fashion forward styles of flared pants.

The trend could not be contained to the counterculture, and by the 1970s bell bottoms had lost their political edge, becoming a mainstream piece of American fashion. Iconic denim brands like Levis embraced the trend, leading to the widespread adoption of the wide legged pants.