Why Are Navy Trousers Flared?

Although no one has been officially accredited with inventing the bell bottom trouser, the flared out look was introduced for sailors to wear in 1817. The new design was made to allow the young men who washed down the ship's deck to roll their pant legs up above their knees to protect the material.

Why are navy uniform pants flared?

The U.S. Navy had been sporting the flared cuffs on its work uniforms since 1817. The idea was that sailors who would be working on the topmost decks, who were presumably swabbing it or whatever sailors did up there back then, would want to roll their pants up to keep them from getting wet or dirty.

Why are sailors pants so wide?

Hort said the wide-legged pants served a number of purposes: * They're easy to slip off if a sailor is swept overboard. Once removed and the legs filled with air, they make a pretty fine emergency flotation device. ... "They made the legs so wide it looked like a skirt, but it was still pants."