Bell-bottoms - Bell-bottoms in The 1960s, 1970s, and Early 1980s

Bell-bottoms in The 1960s, 1970s, and Early 1980s

Bell-bottoms became a fashion statement for both men and women in Europe and North America, starting in the mid 1960s up until the early 1980s, and is even present in fashion today. By 1967, the bell-bottom cut evolved from high-fashion, to become part of the hippie counter-culture movement; together with love beads, granny glasses, and tie-dye shirts. The pant even began to get mentioned in popular music, such as "Bell Bottom Blues" by Blues-Rock group Derek and the Dominos. In the 1970s, they moved into the mainstream; Sonny and Cher helped popularize bell-bottoms in the USA by wearing them on their popular television show. However, they can be seen as early as 1964, in the concert film The T.A.M.I. Show, worn (white "flares" with a babydoll top) by a young Toni Basil, who at the time was a go-go dancer.

Summary: Difference between Bell Bottoms, Flares and Boot-cut. 60s Bell Bottoms (which came into fashion in 1964 to the end of the decade) flared out back and front from the bottom of the calf down and the hems are slightly curved. Usually worn by lads and girls wearing Cuban heeled shoes and Chelsea Boots. The bottoms usually flared to around 18 inches. By the end of the decade the new fashion were parallels which had the same wide leg width from top to bottom. The fashion didn't take off though. 70s Flares flared out massively from the knee down. The bottoms could be up to 26 inches. Modern Boot-cut flare just slightly at the front. Bell-bottoms, both wide and just slightly flared, made from denim, bright cotton, and satin polyester, were so popular that they became a symbol of the outlandish and colorful style of the 1970s, and when the decade ended many hoped that bell-bottoms were gone for good.

Today, the original men's bell bottom pants and flares from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s are collectible vintage clothing items. Worn by men to attend retro theme disco parties, worn in retro revival bands, and to wear clubbing - men's bell bottom pants are a popular fashion item from the late 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.

Loon pants (shortened from "balloon pants") were one type of bell-bottomed trousers. They flared more from the knee than typical bell-bottoms, in which more of the entire leg was flared.They could be seen worn occasionally by the go-go dancers on the British TV music variety show Ready Steady Go! in 1966. Made in a light cotton De Stewart the owner of the well know London boutique "Youre Shop" had loons made in both bright and pastel colours from 1967 onwards. These were sold both in his shop in Camden Passage and in various trendy markets round London. They were also exported round the world and became a mainstay of Hippie fashion. They became associated with disco music, but when the disco backlash started in 1979, bell bottoms started to fade out of fashion along with leisure suits and other clothes that had become associated with disco. They were still popular in the early 1980s, but by the mid-eighties bell bottoms were considered out of fashion by many. In the spring of 2011, bell-bottoms grew in popularity and in style among celebrities, as well as the middle-section drop-like pleated pants, a variant of bell-bottoms. Production in boot-cuts has been slow, much more so than in the 1970s.

Elephant bells, popular in the mid-to-late 1970s, were similar to loon pants but typically made of denim. Elephant bells had a marked flare below the knee, often covering the wearer's shoes.