Flares Are Back
From bootcuts to bell bottoms, flares are a unique and fun choice. If you want to explore new silhouettes or just enjoy the current trend, this article and inspo album may help. Enjoy.
Well, after a few years with some niche popularity, Pharell and Kendrick have suddenly made every man nuts about flares. Luckily for you, I've been a fan for quite a while. So I had inspo saved up already. Here we go.
Call them bootcuts or cowboy cuts (especially if they're subtly flared jeans), or call them bell bottoms (particularly if they curve out at the bottom and come from the 70s). Whatever you want to call them, flares are uniquely cool. Sometimes funky, sometimes dramatic, sometimes corny... Flares are not trivial to style. But how should you style them?
Well, think about shape. Do they flare out dramatically or subtly? from the knee? higher? lower? Are they rock-star tight in the crotch? Are they wide throughout?
How do they drape? Are they made of denim? Are they creased trousers? Do they break on your shoes? How are they actually cut? Sometimes pants that are cut completely straight flare out at the hem; see Edward Sexton's "parallel cut" trousers.
What shoes should you wear them with? Sleek boots? Cowboy boots? Dare I say... Sneakers? What tops? A leather jacket? A western shirt? A silk camp collar? A basic tee?
Through this album, I'll share some photos that might answer these questions, share a few of my own attempts, and even throw in some recommendations. I'll include subtle options, bootcuts if you will, and more dramatic options. And some of the options will involve affiliate links. As a general tip: buy flares at the correct length. Don't plan on hemming them, as hemming them will ruin the shape.
By the way, for those who didn't notice, I decided to launch paid membership tiers here. The main benefits are all in the Jerry tier, which will give you early access to my discord server, full access to all of the private sections, and access to a few ebay links that I think would probably sell too fast if I just gave them out to everybody. I still currently intend to make every article free for all to read, so no pressure. For now, just enjoy!
Flared Jeans
Normally, I'd say that these demand certain footwear: either a cowboy boot, or a sleek heeled boot like the Saint Laurent Wyatt or something from From The First. But Pharell and Kendrick are both wearing them with chunky sneakers, below. Maybe that's the new twist on the old trend. I'll have to try it.
Anyway... Bootcut flared denim is a subtle option, and may therefore be a good way to start. Then again, Pharell's are a little more dramatic, and he wears them with sneakers, so maybe his approach is easier for you. Either way, denim is a good idea.
Pharell. Yes, I included the same fit twice, it warrants multiple angles.
Ivan in vintage 517s
My own flared jeans from 7 for All Mankind. I bought these in high school, and barely wore them because the... uh, let's just say the low rise and stiff fabric made a very uncomfortable combination. But now I see... fashion is pain.
Where to get flared jeans
- Wrangler's 13MWZ is the relatively subtle "cowboy cut" option here; the Wrangler 935NAV is a somewhat more noticeable flare, but still not dramatic, and a higher rise.
- Levis 517. These vintage options are a more noticeable flare, whereas modern options are barely a bootcut.
- 7 For All Mankind did a pretty solid flare. My pair is very low rise, though.
- If Six was Nine (on Grailed, not sure what this brand is or why it's all on Grailed, but it looks cool).
- Naked and Famous Groovy Guy
- Phix. Notice that Phix, in general, has a lot of clothing that fits the 70s vibe.
- Roland in Argentina
- Louis Vuitton double knee denim flares and light wash flares
Wool Flares
Edward
Husbands, the hot new contender
Ke Huy Quan, again, for GQ Taiwan
The first two photos here show my Oxxford flannel trousers; they may look straight, but they're actually cut with a subtle flare that looks fantastic in motion. The third pair is the first pass at flannel flares made for me by Niven Bewspoke. THey need a bit of work, but should hit very nicely when we get them juuust right.
Tailors who can cut good Flares
- Mad King George
- Niven Bespoke
- Husbands
- Lawton
- Maximillian Mogg
- Nina Penlington, former head cutter at Edward Sexton
Wide Flares
This category includes denim and wool flares, as well as some of the other kinds below, but it needed to be separated out. You might have an image in your head when you hear the term "flares," and that image might involve a slim knee. That's understandable; that slim knee helps give flares drama, or helps them drape in certain special ways. But there are other shapes that still function as flares. You can have pants that are wide up top, or wide in the knee, and only get wider as they go.
Because these scratch a different itch, I'm putting them in their own category. I hope you can still enjoy them.
King & Tuckfield. Yes, that first outfit is James Lance from Ted Lasso.
Jason of Mad King George in his signature "Palawan Pants"
These are track pants from New Balance of all things. The label is mysterious as hell: it says "New Balance Relaxed," but no such line ever seems to have existed. So were these a small-scale sample? And if so, who's the idiot who decided not to make more? Anyway, I love 'em.
Where to get wide flares
More Funky Flares
There's no real limit to the fabrics or formulations of flares. So while we got pretty weird with it in the "wide" category... Let's keep going.
Velvet is a great fabric for flares. So is corduroy. Play with color. Acheive a vibe.
Tiger of Sweden in collaboration with Ben Cobb
As a final twist, these Gucci Flares are made of a stiff cotton twill, making them chinos. And they're an olive brown. Not the first color or fabric I'd pick for the style, but they're weirdly fun. And I got them for cheap on eBay. So I'm happy.
Even More Flares
- Vintage Wrangler Wranchers. The current models, again, leave something to be desired.
- Phix, again.
- Good Morning Keith
- Hammies
- Tiger of Sweden, but the selection won't be good until their next collab with Ben Cobb.
- Needles, particularly for flared track pants.
- Louis Vuitton
And some secret recommendations below...
Select thrift picks from each category, from eBay and elsewhere. Only for the Jerry and Elaine subscription tiers.
As a final tip for all of you: don't be afraid to shop in the women's section. If the measurements work and the pants look good to you, go nuts.
