What is the Difference Between Bell Bottoms and Flares

Bell bottoms and flares are two popular styles of pants. Most people get confused about these styles because of their similar flared leg design.

What is the difference between bell bottoms and flares? Bell bottoms have a dramatic, wide flare starting from the knee, whereas flares can have a subtle or wide flare, and it may start higher up on the leg.

Key Areas Covered

1. What are Bell Bottoms  
     – Definition, Features
2. What are Flares
     – Definition, Features 
3. Similarities Between Bell Bottoms and Flares
     – Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Bell Bottoms and Flares
     – Comparison of Key Differences
5. FAQ: Bell Bottoms and Flares
     – Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Key Terms

Bell Bottoms, Flared Pants, Flares

What are Bell Bottoms

Bell bottoms are a type of pants with a unique shape. They fit snugly around the hips and thighs but flare out widely from the knees down. This creates a “bell” shape; hence, they are called bell bottoms.

Originally, bell bottoms were worn by U.S. Navy sailors in the early 1800s because the wide legs made it easier to roll them up when working on deck or wading through water. In the 1960s and 1970s, bell bottoms became popular in everyday fashion. Young people, especially those in the counterculture movement, embraced them as a bold and expressive style. Rock stars, hippies, and trendsetters made them iconic. They often wore them with embroidery, patches, or in colorful fabrics like denim, corduroy, or polyester.

What are Flares

Flares, or flared pants, are a style of trousers that gradually widen out from the knee or thigh and create a flared shape at the bottom. They became especially popular in the 1960s and 1970s, just like bell bottoms. But flares come in more varied styles.

Unlike bell bottoms, which always have a dramatic, wide flare from the knee down, flared pants can be more subtle. Some have only a gentle flare, just slightly wider than regular pants, while others are wide-legged all the way from the hips. This makes flares more versatile. They can be casual or dressy and worn for different occasions. Moreover, flares are made from all sorts of fabrics, like denim, cotton, silk, or blends. They also come in solid colors, prints, or patterns.

Similarities Between Bell Bottoms and Flares

1. Both are types of pants that widen below the knee.
2. They are fitted or snug around the thighs.
3. They were popular in the 1960s and 1970s fashion.
4. Both can be made from a variety of fabrics like denim, cotton, or polyester.

Difference Between Bell Bottoms and Flares

Definition

• Bell bottoms are pants that are tight at the top and flare out widely from the knee, forming a bell-like shape. Flares, on the other hand, are pants that gradually widen below the knee and can be slightly flared or very wide.

Flare Style

• Bell bottoms have a dramatic, wide flare starting from the knee, whereas flares can have a subtle or wide flare, and it may start higher up on the leg.

Fit

• Bell bottoms are usually tight around the thigh and flare sharply from the knee, while flares can be tight, relaxed, or straight from the hips to the knees, then gently flare out.

FAQ: Bell Bottoms and Flares

1. What body type looks best in flare jeans?

Flare jeans look best on people with an hourglass or pear-shaped body because the wider bottom balances out the hips. But they can suit most body types if styled the right way.

2. What is the difference between flares and bootcuts?

The main difference is in the width of the leg opening. Flares have a wide flare from the knee down, while bootcut jeans have a smaller, more subtle flare that just fits over boots.

3. Are flares the same as bell-bottoms?

Flares and bell-bottoms are similar, but not the same. Bell-bottoms have a more dramatic, wider flare from the knee, while flares come in different styles and can have a more subtle flare.

4. What are the two different types of flares?

Flares come in two main types. The first is subtle flares, which have just a slight flare from the knee down. The second type is wide-leg flares, which have a much bigger flare starting from the knee.

Reference:

1. “Bell-bottoms.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.

2. “The Flared Trousers.” Husbands Journal.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Redhead Beach Bell Bottoms” By Mike Powell – originally posted to Flickr as Erika, Beach 10 (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia

2. “A Woman in Neon Outfit Projecting Beautifully on the Camera” (CC0) via Pexels