In the late 1950s drainpipe trouser had been the fashion aspiration of youth. 1963 a medical student in London had no casual trousers and asked his mother to open up the seams of a pair of almost new drainpipe jeans that would not pull up over his thighs. She opened the outside seams to the mid thigh and inserted pale blue inserts. She rather over did it. The results were floppy bottomed trousers but tight around the crotch and buttocks and flopped on the legs into the chain of his bicycle. His weekly shopping for food was on Kings Road Chelsea. In January 1964 the student was obliged to wear this creation. Surprise, the following week Kings Road had about 20 persons who had also altered their old drain pipes. About 3 weeks later hundreds of alterations had been created some evidently were also too short and extra length was being added. That was the origin of bell-bottom flairs as a fashion item. Bell-bottoms became fashionable for both men and women in London and expanded into Europe and North America.