Bell Bottoms May be Back in 2009

The growing backlash to skinny jeans might reach a tipping point in 2009. Siwy -- one of our favorite denim brands -- just debuted a 24" bell bottom jean called the Chloe.

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While designer Michelle Siwy has always offered flared-leg denim, this pair takes the bell to a whole new level. (Flats are definitely not an option when you're rocking these.)

Siwy isn't the first to rebel against skinny and straight-leg denim. 7 For All Mankind, for example, has also been offering some 60s-inspired silhouettes for women who have tired of too-tight jeans.

We think it's high time denim designers started experimenting with flare again. But is the world ready for pants with a two-foot wide opening? Only 2009 will tell. Keep reading to check out some celeb examples of the trend.

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Katie Holmes took a lot of fashion flack this year for wearing pegged jeans. But just a couple of months ago in New York, she scored style points by taking a very different denim risk. These bell bottoms put a modern spin on the classic shape with flattering, slimming seams.

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Katie has more in common with Penelope Cruz than she does with her husband Tom. The Spanish actress was a belle in bell bottoms when she donned a slouchy pair to an appearance on Good Morning America this summer.

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The supermodel -- who can get away with wearing anything, really -- recently rocked a pair of psychedelic ultra-flares on a Brazilian runway. (We'd save this very tight, very tie-dyed version for a long night in Ibiza, though.)

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Victoria Beckham has been ditching her usual skinny jeans lately and making the scene in bell bottoms. Here, she put a 1970s spin on the bell at the May launch of her denim line, dVb, with menswear inspired pants and a dramatic blouse.

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Blumarine gave the classic denim a snow-bunny spin for this season, pairing it with puffer vests and metallic accessories. There's nothing dated or difficult about this take on the bell.

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T-Boz and Chilli took the super flare to a whole new level at this summer's BET awards. But their over-the-top look came across as a bit too costume-y. (Their feet apparently agreed and went into hiding for the night.)

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Iconic "It" girl Edie Sedgwick (here with Andy Warhol) rocked a glam, downtown version of the bell bottom in its heyday at the 1971 Mod Ball in New York City. (Yes, those are silver lame.)

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Tags: 60s, bell bottom, BellBottom, chloe, currentelliot, denim, flare, jeans, pants, wide leg, WideLeg

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

bhaskar sarma 12-29-2008 @ 5:10AM

bell bottoms are amazing.Its a great news if bell bottom returns in 2009.It must com with denim as wel formal also.

Mimos 1-01-2009 @ 6:36PM

At last, I've found Emma Watson NUDE video. Young star of Harry Potter isn't little girl any more;) I've seen it here: http://EmmaNude.notlong.com

Tabby 1-01-2009 @ 6:28PM

I love bells. I still have mine and never intended to get rid of them. They are the most comfortable jeans I've ever worn. I swore when I got out of peg legs in the late 60's they would never get me back in them. I didn't. Instead, I've worn flared, boot cut and relaxed straight leg as a last resort. Never pegs! I would love to see this come to pass. I not only had them in denim, but other materials as well. I made my own too so that I had outfits with bells so flared they looked like a long dress when standing. Try that in your pegs. HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WELCOME BACK BELL BOTTOMS !

eedgar356 1-01-2009 @ 6:33PM

Bell bottoms are the ugliest style in clothing!!!

Jiksy 1-01-2009 @ 6:30PM

After awesome photos at GQ Jennifer Aniston makes one really hot video. She is posing nude there! I've seen it at http://JennyNude.notlong.com

billtstrong 1-01-2009 @ 6:31PM

Where have these AOL people been? Bells have been back for several years - mostly among young women and then some male rock singers like the dude on Black Crowes.

Personally, I don't like them. I wore them in the 1970s and do not want the 1970s to return!

usage 1-01-2009 @ 6:59PM

NO way would I ever this UGLY American trend. It is bad enough this country plunged the WORLD into a recession
now I should follow your garbage? you gave the world enough
misery. Damm you

Aly 1-01-2009 @ 7:42PM

Oh, and you think the below-the-butt, droopy, saggy, underwear-showing trend is any better? I'll take bell bottoms any day over that trend! When I see guys wearing that thug look I want to run up behind them and pull them down. If you watch those guys try to walk wearing that look they always have to hold or grab the front occasionally to keep them from falling down. GROSS!! I forbid my daughter from brining a guy to the house with that look. I was lucky, she didn't like the thug look either. WHEW!!

trendsetter 1-01-2009 @ 7:36PM

Can't wait for this to hit mainstream! God bless the 70's!

Allison 1-01-2009 @ 7:42PM

Umm...this was "in style again" back when I was in middle school...like 10 years ago. So it's more like a flashback to the '90's.

Lynn 1-01-2009 @ 7:53PM

Please get rid of bell bottoms. I wore this style in the 70'. I don't care to have it again. I have found it hard these days to find straight leg pants. If they wish to keep bell bottoms they shoud make straight leg in all the same colors and styles. Thank You

Norma 1-01-2009 @ 8:17PM

COSMO said, "If you wore them once, you NEVER wear it again". With todays pants, and how they are extremely lowrise, those look more like hip huggers..............Never liked those either, in the early 70's!!

rick 1-01-2009 @ 8:25PM

Usage, we don't need any more Euro trash here messing up our country go back to whatever cesspool you came from and suffer with the third world dirt you clearly prefer

Rick 1-01-2009 @ 10:54PM

Great job rick. America needs more than ever your type of honable pride. You Sir need to write for the newly elected President. Sincerely, Rick Castleberry

Jada 1-01-2009 @ 9:36PM

I love the styles that came out in the 70's, even though I'm pretty young, and wouldn't mind trying out something from back then. I'll definitely wear them. =)

p 1-01-2009 @ 10:07PM

there cute for girly jeans but i see them as new and old style put together into 1 these look great on someone with have long lean legs maybe the clothing factorys cant come up with anything new fresh so they bring back the old styles if bell bottom aere the thing back couple years ago and failed to keep them going as a style then why bring something back they called them Flares eupheism for bell bottoms then hip huggers low rise jeans skinny jeans none of which had lasted in style less then 6 months i wish someday there would be a line of clothing style that would last at least 2 years or more but thats less likely to happen i notice these girly styles come and go but the rockstar style the goth style never fades out even the preppy styles never fade away.

Lyndsay 1-01-2009 @ 10:15PM

Bell bottoms made a come back the same time of the Spice Girls debuted.

Jlyn 1-01-2009 @ 10:32PM

I like bell bottoms - but they've been "in style" again for over a decade. Still they're better than woman wearing jeans that show their panties and butt crack. And, those damn thug wannabe's whose jeans sag below they're butt.

Gerald Spencer 1-01-2009 @ 11:19PM

Who says bell bottoms is an American trend? They were a western trend and an asian trend and the trend never went away. I would rather see the bell bottoms than those god awful trashy high water pants women have been wearing or the black tights with no skirt (like walking around in their underwear and not a single one of them is really sexy), okay for a little girl under the age of 10 but not for older - yeck!
Come on people, trash has been sold to women time and time again and this droopy drawer look for guys who really want to be showing their private parts is really disgusting. Almost every new fashion offer is a bad offer, designers suck, manufacturers who want to make the clothes cheap really suck. Bell bottoms are an old classic, just like straight legged denim Levi's. If you stick with a classic, male or female, you will never ever go wrong.