Why Did Sailors Wear Bell-Bottom Pants?

Sailors leaning on fence

Bell-bottoms have long been synonymous with sailors in the U.S. Navy: Just picture Sailor Jack, the patriotic mascot who first appeared on boxes of Cracker Jack in 1918, or Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly dancing and singing in the 1945 musical Anchors Aweigh. During World War II, songwriter Moe Jaffe even reworked the lyrics of a bawdy 19th-century English sea shanty into “Bell Bottom Trousers,” a song about a woman’s love for her sailor, who wore “bell bottom trousers, coat of navy blue.”

The Navy first authorized wearing bell-bottom denim dungarees in 1901 as an alternative to heavier wool pants. With a few rare exceptions, bell-bottoms remained the official working uniform of enlisted sailors from 1913 through the 1990s. Some changes were made to the uniform over the years, and in the late 20th century pants with wide, straight legs replaced the flared bottoms, but they were still referred to as “bell-bottoms.” The classic image of the bell-bottom-wearing seaman lives on today — but why did sailors start wearing this style in the first place?

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Before There Was a Navy Uniform, There Were Bell-Bottoms

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why bell-bottoms became the clothing of choice for the U.S. Navy, but we do know the tradition started in the early 19th century, at a time when the Navy lacked a standardized uniform for enlisted personnel. By the mid-1800s, Britain’s Royal Navy had also adopted the flared-pant style, and by the end of the 19th century, other seafaring militaries had joined the bell-bottom bandwagon, too. One of the first descriptions of the attire of U.S. Navy enlisted sailors comes from an 1813 Navy file about the arrival of Commodore Stephen Decatur in New York, which describes “glazed canvas hats with stiff brims, decked with streamers of ribbon, blue jackets buttoned loosely over waistcoats and blue trousers with bell bottoms.” One theory about the origin of these bell-bottoms is that before uniform regulations were established, Navy tailors may have been aiming to differentiate sailors’ dress from civilian clothing. But it turns out that bell-bottom trousers didn’t just serve a stylistic distinction — they were also a practical choice for sailors.

Wide-Leg Pants Were Safer and More Practical

In 1817, the secretary of the U.S. Navy issued regulations stating that sailors washing the decks of the ship should be barefoot and have their pants rolled up. The flared legs of bell-bottom trousers made rolling them up easier compared to pants with narrower legs. Historic photographs from the early 20th century reflect how this tradition endured, clearly showing creases where the sailors’ wide-legged pants had been rolled. But while naval folklore is filled with stories and speculation, there is no definitive answer for why bell-bottoms remained the sailors’ uniform. One theory is that bell-bottom dungarees were a practical choice for the naval environment due to their durability and ease of wearing. The flared legs also provided better mobility, which was essential on a ship with confined spaces and many ladders.

There’s also a widely held belief that bell-bottoms remained popular because of their potential use as a life preserver. Anyone who has ever fallen into a pool or lake while fully dressed knows how quickly wet clothes can become a burden. For a sailor swept overboard, heavy clothing wasn’t just an inconvenience, it was a dangerous liability. The extra fabric on bell-bottom pants made it easier to catch hold of a sailor who went overboard and, once overboard, a sailor could take off their pants without removing their shoes (which they would need if they made it to the shoreline). There are also stories of sailors being taught in boot camp how to knot the wide pant legs of their bell-bottoms and inflate them with air, turning them into a flotation device, but there’s no known evidence that the pants were ever used this way.

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The “Monkey Suit” Became a Navy Tradition

We may never know exactly how or why bell-bottom pants became the enduring uniform for sailors, but they remain a tangible link to a bygone seafaring era. Over the years, the U.S. Navy has made minor modifications to the uniform, but it has remained virtually unchanged for two centuries. Despite efforts to balance tradition and practicality, attempts to change the classic look have typically been met with resistance.

In 1971, the Navy decided to phase out the traditional uniform worn by enlisted sailors, which included bell-bottom dungarees, in favor of straight trousers worn by officers and chief petty officers. It took four years to fully implement the change, and many sailors were not happy about losing the uniform that they fondly referred to as a “monkey suit.” In a 1971 interview with The New York Times, Navy sailor Henry Knapp aptly called the look a “tradition and trademark.” Sailors also complained that the officer-style uniforms were difficult to keep clean and took up too much space in their shipboard storage. In 1977, the chief of naval operations decided to reverse the previous guideline and reauthorized the traditional uniform for the four lowest enlisted ranks.

In 1999, the Navy once again began phasing out the bell-bottom dungarees in favor of straight-legged pants, despite sailors’ complaints that the change would result in a loss of their distinctive look. Steeped in nautical nostalgia, bell-bottoms were a symbol of pride, and their flared legs created a unique silhouette that set sailors apart from other branches of the U.S. military. Bell-bottoms may never again be a mandatory item in a sailor’s sea bag, but this iconic piece of clothing will always have a place in naval history.