Culture.Mil - Bell-Bottoms

Written by Jenifer Chrisman on February 22, 2016.

All the rage in the 60s and 70s, the bell-bottoms origins were less fashionable and more practical. There is no conclusive historical documentation of when sailors began wearing bell-bottoms. However, during the war of 1812 Commodore Stephen Decatur noted men wearing “glazed canvas hats with stiff brims, decked with streamers of ribbon, blue jackets buttoned loosely over waistcoats, and blue trousers with bell bottoms” on the frigates United States and Macedonia.

Naval bell-bottoms served several purposes. According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, “A great safety element emerged when it was discovered a water-soaked sailor who happened to find himself no longer aboard could easily remove the 20 to 30 pounds of saturated wool without removing his now-standard shoes, which he would desperately need to protect his feet if he avoided becoming shark bait and made landfall.” Both practical and function, bell-bottoms:

easily slip off if a sailor falls overboard
can be turned into an emergency flotation device by filling them with air
easily roll up above the knees (useful for swabbing the deck or wading ashore)
keep rain and spray at bay as they cover the boots

Although bell-bottoms made occasional civilian appearances, they didn’t hit peak popularity until the 1960s. Sadly, that surge among civilians coincided with the anti-war counterculture when they became symbolic of a social rebellion.

Not wanting to conform to the strict clothing fashions of the 50s, casual, inexpensive and, often, secondhand clothing were eagerly sought out. Military stores sold surplus bell-bottoms, granting them extreme popularity for both men and women. They became a personal anti-war statement by embroidering flowers or applying peace symbols.
But bell-bottoms may soon be part of the Navy’s past. According to history.navy.mil, part of the new uniform for enlisted includes:

Blue Trousers - Same design as officer’s trousers, but the material is the same as the present enlisted man’s lace-ups. They have two side pockets, watch pocket, and two hip pockets, are worn with a belt, pressed the way civilians press theirs, and have no cuffs. The fly has five buttons. There isn’t the faintest suggestion of a bell bottom in this description.

Their time may be passing, but bell bottoms will always be a part of the U.S. Navy’s proud history.

Sources:

⇠ Return to Culture.Mil Category Page