If you are as out of the loop as I am when it comes to fashion, you may have just started to notice that bell bottom jeans are back. Talk about being a little behind the curb. Fashion, in general, seems to repeat itself through the years, so I wasn’t that surprised. But since I have never owned a pair in my life, I was lost. What do you wear with bell bottom jeans? How many different kinds of bell bottoms are there? Who should wear them and who should avoid them? Curiosity definitely got the best of me, and I decided it was time to do a little fashion research of my own. Since I was doing the research, I wanted to sum up what I found for you! Maybe it will give you some ideas for your own style!
Types of Bell Bottoms
As you probably know, there isn’t really a set look for bell bottom jeans. They’ve certainly come a long way since the 70’s or even before. But I wanted to sum up a few different styles for you. I’ve never worn bell bottoms. I pretty much decided I never would a long time ago. But after looking into the different kinds, I don’t feel that way anymore. There are so many different kinds of bell bottoms pants! Like normal jeans, you have quite the variety to choose from. So it’s hard to swear them off entirely!
The different kinds include:
Probably more than you thought, huh? I chose the most common and well known for this article. But keep in mind, there aren’t just a ton of different styles. There are also a ton of different takes on each one. I won’t be able to cover every different style. But you can get all of them in a variety of different fabrics, from denim and corduroy to cotton or lightweight polyester materials. You can even find jumpsuits with flares!
Who Should Wear Bell Bottoms
Honestly, bell bottoms or flares, in general, are for pretty much anyone. But I did want to touch on a few pointers for you. There are enough different styles that really everyone can wear them. Also, who’s to say what you can and can’t wear? If you want to rock bell bottoms, go for it! My criticism goes as far as liking something on someone else but never wanting to wear it myself.
But one thing I did want to mention is for the plus sized ladies. Depending on the fit of plus size bell bottoms, keep in mind that certain styles can make you look shorter. Such as the flared capris. My mom actually used to wear flared capris, and I never thought twice about it. She lost a ton of weight in the last few years and opted for more fitted jeans now. But when I look back on old pictures, I realized that wide leg capris made her look much shorter than she was.
It also gave her a wider appearance in general. So that’s certainly something to keep in mind! I would recommend flares that go all the way to your feet. You’ll also want to focus on ones that are fitted to your hips and down your legs to your knees. It will give you a taller and more slender appearance. Not to mention it will really accentuate those curves, which is always a good thing!
Petite girls are another one I wanted to mention. If you are petite, high waisted bell bottoms will make your legs look longer. But it also makes your torso look super short. So if you’re going to wear high waisted bell bottoms, you could rock a crop top to even everything out a little! It is a little more fun and edgy! It would also look fantastic with heels, giving you more height! But if you aren’t interested in looking like your legs are a mile long, you might prefer low rise bell bottom jeans.
I would actually say the same thing for tall girls. High waisted bell bottoms will make your legs look incredibly long if you’re already really tall. So you’ll have to determine whether you like that or not. So it’s just something to keep in mind when considering low rise or high waisted bell bottoms. But really, you don’t have to overthink anything. It doesn’t matter in the end; it comes down to your individual sense of style! So figure out what you like and go for it. You might be surprised what you come up with in the end!
What to Wear with Bell Bottoms
This is probably the portion of the article you were really waiting for. There are so many different looks you could go with! There are a lot of different styles that have been circulating lately because celebrities have been wearing flares so much more lately! So I do have a few suggestions based on what I’ve been finding.
CROP TOPS
This is one that goes back to practically the beginning of time for bell bottom jeans! It’s such a classic look. It’s really fun in the summer, not to mention way cooler. Crop tops are the perfect thing to wear with high waisted bell bottoms. There are so many different kinds to choose from too because they never really go out of style. It definitely shouldn’t be too hard to find a crop top you like!
BARDOT TOPS
I can’t get enough of these off the shoulder shirts! They look good with just about any kind of jeans, particularly some fun bell bottoms! You can find them in a variety. I was just at the mall yesterday, and they were everywhere. It’s perfect for a going-out look for spring and summer. So if you want a dressy/casual style, this is the way to go!
TUCKED SHIRT
I know this sounds super obvious but bear with me. I mentioned that you could find flared dress pants. So I also wanted to mention a particular style just for them! But tucked shirts, especially button downs, look fantastic with flared dress slacks. This is perfect if you want to go for a very put-together style. It’s more professional and dressy.
You can really do this with most shirts, but button downs or flowy shirts look really good. A tucked in, but loose fitting shirt will hide your stomach, in case you don’t like fitted shirts for that reason. But it will also give you a chance to show off your other curves instead!
TUNIC SHIRT
If you’re interested in more of a boho style, this is perfect for you. The best part is that this style looks good with denim bell bottoms or alternative fabric types. Like the cotton or polyester blends, I mentioned earlier! I noticed how popular this was when I was on my mall trip because my mom loves tunic tops and the lightweight fabric pants. Put them together, and you’ll definitely be working with the latest trends! So both will be super easy to find. It will also be probably the most comfortable outfit you’ve ever worn!
HEELS
I was reading a little about the different shoes people like to wear with their bell bottoms. Chunky heels are by far the most popular. The goal is to find flares that cover your toes when you’re standing barefoot. Then just add some heels that will show off just enough of your shoes. It might not sound that drastic, but the effect is absolutely perfect! So platform shoes were definitely a favorite.
Either platform stilettos or even wedges! I think the main reason behind this one is definitely because people are going to notice your bell bottoms. When they look down, they will also notice your shoes. So you want to wow them with your shoe choice!
Where to Buy Bell Bottoms
We live in a world where you can have anything you want at the tips of your fingers. Including bell bottom jeans! The internet is a magical thing. But I don’t personally shop online for pants. I like to be able to try things on because it seems like everyone sizes their clothing a little differently. I also like to check to see whether my butt looks good in the pants before I commit to buying them. But the nice thing about online shopping is the fact that you can do it from the comfort of your couch and you can always return things you don’t like! So I just wanted to suggest a few places where you can find bell bottoms online!
I wanted to start with the most obvious. You can find everything on Amazon! The coolest part is that they now have the Prime wardrobe now! I thought this was a really cool new feature. You just have to order everything you want, try it on when it comes, and then return anything you don’t want. They make it so much simpler and let you know which items are included in Prime wardrobe. So if you’re ever worried about not being able to contact the company about returns, this makes it much easier!
This is a new site for me, but they have a fantastic variety of bell bottoms! Probably my favorite thing about this website, in particular, is the fact that you can find cheap bell bottoms! Well, not just bell bottoms actually, you can find a little bit of everything. So not only will you probably be able to find exactly what you’re looking for, but it won’t come with an outrageous price tag! That’s about as close to perfect as it gets for bargain shopper like me!
I mentioned that I wasn’t much of an online shopper when it came to pants…but this site definitely makes me want to cave a little bit! They have some really cool clothes. Including a wide array of vintage style bell bottoms! You can even choose between a few different eras, from the 60’s-80’s, which I also really liked. But they do also have a lot of flares that aren’t just vintage. The only downside to all these beautiful options is the fact that everything is twice as expensive as Cichic. But I know that not everyone is always on a budget, so if you don’t mind splurging and little, this is the place to shop!
Conclusion
Overall, I have to say my former dislike of bell bottoms has pretty much disappeared since I started researching for this article. There are so many different styles to choose from, and I love the idea of mixing up my style a little bit! There are so many different ways you can dress them up and down. I honestly am starting to wonder why I never considered them until now. But I hope that this article was a little informative, and maybe you’re in the mood to try something new now too! Share your bell bottom looks with us in the comments below!
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