Sailors Bell Bottoms

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I thought this was interesting about bell-bottoms: For sailors to wash the deck of the ship they were on it was easier to roll up bell- bottom pants than the straight legged ones. They also provided better mobility which is important in the confined spaces on a ship. And, the extra fabric of the bell- bottoms made it easier to latch on to if a sailor went over board. Although there is no know evidence of this being done it is thought that the bell bottoms could be knotted and made into a flotation device. Sailors have been wearing bell bottoms since 1817. The Navy first authorized the wearing of bell-bottom denims in 1901. This was an alternative to heavier wool pants.