Bell bottoms were introduced in the 1960s as a high fashion item inspired by sailors' pants. They later became associated with the hippie counter culture as a way for youth to reject modern fashion. After gaining popularity within the counter culture, bell bottoms entered the mainstream as the garment industry began mass producing them. Rather than declining in popularity, bell bottoms have remained a classic style that is periodically reintroduced and reinvented in different silhouettes.

1. The Fashion Cycle

3. They 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.

5. They 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.

7. With 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.

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

14. 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.