During the 50s and 60s, when sailors and the navy generally were the major ‘
sartorialists’ and men’s fashion influencers. The major uniforms for the navy during this period constituted a shirt and a trouser/pant which was tight around the thigh, just above the calf and further spread open down to the hems, this in fact took the form of a bell, hence the name. As time and the coast of fashion expanded, during the 70s, it became clearer that the use of the bell-bottomed pants will linger a little longer, the elephant bottom surfaced. The elephant trouser is no more like the bell bottom than the fact that it stretches down covering the entire feet.
The use of the bell bottom pants as a unique fashion was so much that even when there were no boot cuts, in that, when people couldn’t afford to buy one, especially young people, they got a denim or any other choice material and had a tailor sew in a triangular piece of fabric towards the lower part of the trouser closet to the hem. Boot cut as it is commonly called has transcended through the years into the 21st century, even though its use declined when the straight cut pants and slim fit center staged in 2006 till date, you can still find one or two persons who still pull off powerful looks with the boot cut, especially the ladies in the banking sector and for a few other official purposes.
The question now is, is there a possibility that the boot cut will return? I’m asking because all of the trends of the 60s and 70s have all made a major come back and are making big waves, styles like: initials on shirt, beards, colourful suits, jackets and blazers….etc. all of this have come and I’m sure they are staying, just in case you wake up tomorrow and discover you have to contend with flares/boot cut/bell bottoms there not much you can do, just get to a shop and grab yourself some. Regardless of the old adage that says, “new is old, and old is new” the designers have modified the boot cut into a better and more sophisticated apparel, thereby giving it a new look and feel; The wide features of the 60s and 70s have been done away with, establishing a more complex and comfortable feeling.
For me, I think the boot cut is coming, it’s only going to be a while before someone wears it, it becomes really attractive and begins to make rounds…. Just like every other trend in fashion…
