BELL BOTTOMSThe Fashion Cycle

INTRODUCTION

1960They were introduced as a high fashion product in the mid 1960s. At the time it was inspired from sailor’s pants, which had a noticeably wider leg than other pants for the sailors to roll them up while scrubbing on deck.

RISE

LATE 1960They went from high fashion to a part of the hippie counter culture movement. It was a way for the youth to deplore modern fashion. Many of them would make it themselves by inserting pieces of fabric from the knee of the jeans.There the bell bottoms were paired with tie-dye shirts and granny glasses. After this they got very popular and moved into the mainstream.

PEAK

1970With the trend of bell bottoms growing, the garment industry began to mass produce bell bottoms. The bells were further popularized by various celebrities such as David Bowie and Sonny & Cher. They also began to come in a variety of fabrics ranging from denims to polyester and even cotton.

DECLINE

The Bell Bottom fashion never really declined or passed into obsolence instead it remained a classic and was re-invented in different styles.

DIFFERENT STYLES

HIP HUGGERS

ELEPHANT BELLS

BOOTCUT

FLARED

CONCLUSION

Even with the advent of skinny jeans and classic jeans the flared and bootcut versions still remain relatively popular. Therefore it would be wrong to say that Bell

Bottoms are obsolete. They have simply evolved.