Bell bottom trousers

BELL BOTTOM TROUSERS

Remember the good ole days when wearing a pair of bell bottom trousers was all the rage? It was in the late 60’s and early 70’s that almost everyone was wearing them and the very popular Sonny and Cher Show you could see Sonny dancing and singing every week wearing his bell bottom trousers. Being a fashion trend meant that you were in the grove, or hip, or a real trend setter. Some of the pants had the flare start at the knee and grew out as wide as 26 inches at the bottom. Now, those were certainly an eye catching a pair of bell bottom trousers that created envy in the eyes of the beholders!

Bells, as they came to be known, were not just for men but also for women who quickly made them their own fashion trend. Thus bell bottom trousers for women can be seen in today’s fashion world worn over the tops of high heel shoes or boots, Cuban heels or sneakers. In the 70’s, the hippie movement caught onto bell bottom trousers, love beads, granny glasses, and tie dye shirts. Today, the hippies are no longer with us, however, bell bottom trousers remain though styled differently, as a reminder of a fashion trend which many of us older Americans can recall wearing.

The origin of the bell bottom trouser is unknown, but, according to British Naval History, they were the first to issue them as part of the Royal Navy uniform. The United States Navy, to this day, issues them as part of the ”Dress Blues“ uniform along with white bells for a more casual look. My younger brother was in the U.S. Navy back in the late 60’s, and to this very day, still owns his dress blue bell bottom trousers he keeps them packed away in a closet. Every once in a while he is known to get them out to show then to his grandchildren and tell them about his adventures while being a Navy man. Sad to say, he can no longer wear them because, as he tells it, his bells have “shrunk” over the years and he is unable to button them up! Now, that sounds like a great excuse for the widening of the waist we all seem to get as we grow older. But, his grandchildren think Granddad is very funny when he attempts to get into them, but only able to get them up to his knees while he grunts and groans and accuses Grandma of shrinking them by storing them in a dark closet. He claims they need to get out in the light of day to keep their size!

I ask, do fashion trends really ever go away never to be seen again? My answer is no, they are simply re-made to look like something new or different, maybe a little decoration here or there added to the waist or the bell is made a tad smaller or the leg is wider, while the basic style remains the same. One of my best kept secrets is I own a pair of tight fitting, hip hugging, big 26 inch bell, snow white cotton denim, bell bottom trousers! I know they have not shrunk an inch and will fit me perfectly as they did 40 years ago! Hey, where are my love beads?