Why are Navy trousers flared?

Question

I'm guessing that there must be a functional reason for it otherwise the Navy wouldn't have adopted that style but I simply can't figure out what it could be.

Answer 1

It is a mixture of two of the above.
Firstly it was made to roll up above the knee when scrubbing the deck. It also doubled as a float by tieing the legs and using it as a lifejacket.

Answer 2

There are a lot of errors in the above.

1. Bell Bottomed trousers, not really bell bottomed, but straight leg, are worn partially as a custom and generally because the blues will drag you down in the water, so you drop your trousers and let them sink.

2. Only whites and dungareers, made of cotton and not of melton wool, can be used as floats. You take your trousers off, ties off the legs, raise them over your head and fill them with air, and thus you have a float.

3. Sailors are calls Tars, mainly because in the days of wooden ships, they had to tar the sides to stop leaking in the ship. The neckerchief was worn to put over their heads to keep tar out of their hair. Mainly, it is worn now as a tradition.

4. I used to be able to explain the flap, but can't now.

5. There are thirteen buttons on the front of button up Navy blues. Those are there, of course, to allow you to pee without taking your trousers off. However, they are really there to give a girl 13 times to say no!, but my experience was that they had to say NO 13 times really fast, because you can grab the corner of the flap and they all unbutton at once.

6. Any sailor more than 150 miles away from the port can get away with about anything with women.

Answer 3

In approximately 1999 the Navy switched from the traditional Dungaree style pants (jean bell-bottoms) to what is now called “Utilities”. The Dungaree style was worn to allow easy removal with out taken off your boots if you fell overboard. The uniform today, utilities, is not a bell-bottom style pants. They are more of a Dockers style or Dickey style, similar to a mechanics pants.

The dress uniform hold years of tradition and is the single most recognized military uniform around the world. This uniform still holds a bell-bottom appearance. But because of its history, I don’t think it will ever change.

Answer 4

If you go into the water, it is highly unadvisable to lose your boots. They are flared so that they are easier to take off while keeping your boots on your feet. Once you get the trousers off, you can tie the ends up and blow air into them, and as long as they stay wet, they will keep the air and you can use the trousers as a flotation device. Hey, it isn't exactly a life jacket, but you work with what you've got.

Answer 5

the uniform pants are actually bellbottomed. they were left like this to remember the old navy from the 50-60s. the dress blues uniform pants still have the corset ties in back and 13 buttons in the front fir the same reason

Answer 6

It dates back to medieval times when ships were constantly attacked and boarded by their enemies, all seamen wore striped shirts so the bell bottoms were a means of telling your men from the enemy, the french & spanish wore panteloons and tights and were easily identified in the heat of battle.

Answer 7

I heard that it was so sailors could roll them up easily when they were on their hands and knees scrubbing decks or whatever. However, I don't think they are flared any more - except perhaps for ceremonial or dress uniforms.

Answer 8

So if they ever fall in the water, they can whip their pants off quickly for better swimming. They can also try to use them to hold air as flotation devices by tying off the bell bottoms.

Answer 9

the trousers are called tar's
they date back to the 1800's when pep's used to tar the deck, to avoid leaking inside.
The tar's would bell out due to the amount of tar residue on them.

Answer 10

My Navy buddy said it was to impress the girls and so you could get your pants on and off easily during shore leave.