Trends come and trends go, but often the materials stay the same. As to what drives the trend, that can vary enormously with very many factors contributing to it.
One of the trends that many of us believed had been consigned to history was bell bottom style jeans. In an age of pared-back fashion it seemed unlikely that clothes using excessive amounts of material would see the light of day again for quite some time.
But fashions are like elections, designed to trip up anyone who tries to predict what, or who, will win.
A brief history of the bell bottom
Before we move on to the bell bottom, first a word about denim and its history. Most of us know that it was named after a particular kind of material that was traditionally woven in the French city of Nîmes – so the words “serge de Nîmes” were shortened to just denim. The original material was a blend of wool and silk but, over time, cotton was substituted for practical and cost reasons
The name jeans to describe the kind of trouser comes from another European city, Genoa where the style was adopted for its cheap and hard-wearing nature. It was only when it reached the US in the late 19th century that the fabric became what we might recognise as the first blue jean.
This was a collaboration between a Nevada tailor called Jacob Davis and his cloth supplier, Levi Strauss & Co. that saw rivets being added at strategic points on the seams to make the jeans extra hard-wearing.
Now onto the bell bottoms element. These were originally a style of trouser worn by sailors on board ships. The thinking was that the wide trouser legs would be easy to roll up when swabbing the deck. The style also made it easy to remove the bell bottoms over shoes if anyone was unlucky, or clumsy, enough to fall overboard.
So how did these elements combine to become the bell bottoms that made such an impact in the 1960s and 70s you might ask?
The most commonly given theory is that as part of its anti-consumerist drive the hippy movement started shopping at army surplus stores, where there was a plentiful supply of ex-navy bell bottoms. The irony of this didn’t seem to strike the resolutely anti-Vietnam War protesters of the time, but that’s another story.
The unisex nature of jeans also chimed with the feminist wave that was sweeping the world over these decades – so makers like Levi’s cashed in on the trends and started making bell bottoms by the million.
The decline . . . and return . . . of the style
When punk culture exploded in around 1978 it aimed to blow everything that came before it out of the water, including all hippy trappings. So, bell bottoms and flares were out, and skinny jeans were back. It was hard to imagine they would ever be back.
But return they have, with a vengeance, and they’ve been with us for a couple of years now. Social commentators have suggested that the appeal among Generation Z is rooted in the same kinds of sentiments that were rife in the hippy years.
Student unrest is rising with high profile demonstrations about everything from the climate crisis to the numerous conflicts going on around the world. Fourth-wave feminism is also playing a part in bringing back more gender-neutral styles of dress.
So, when Kendrick Lamar’s outfit included bell bottoms in the half-time show at Super Bowl LIX we could tell that they were definitely having more than just a moment.
This time designers are having a lot more fun with them than just using blue denim. Colourful, patterned fabrics are in and there are styles that are great for even more formal wear.
So bell bottoms are making a statement to could also come from the 70s – “We’re back baby, bigger and better than ever!”
