Five Facts About the Fashion for Flares

Like many of the best fashion items, flares were originally worn for completely practical reasons. It’s thought that British and American sailors first wore bell-bottomed trousers in the 19th century because it made it easier to snag a man who had fallen overboard. 

The wide-legged design of flares also made it easier for sailors to remove the trousers when wet and roll them up when working in muddy conditions. 

In the 1960s, young people in the US started getting their clothes from army surplus stores. Not only was army surplus clothing cheap and hard-wearing, it also represented a rejection of mainstream consumerism, something the youth of the 60s were very keen on. 

At the time, re-styling old military clothing allowed young people to show their strong anti-war sentiments. They would often embroider old military jackets and trousers with flowers and peace signs. 

Music played a huge part in fanning the fashion for flares. By the early 70s, the public no longer saw bell-bottomed trousers as the clothing of ‘dangerous radicals’ and flares started appearing on the world’s catwalks. 

A number of US and UK fashion designers, like Mary Quant, made flares part of their signature style. This helped to cement their place in fashion history. Bands that helped to move flares firmly into the mainstream include Slade, Abba the Bay City Rollers.