Clothes of the Seventies, Elephant Pants

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Description: These were made mostly in a polyester/ cotton blend material of all prints and solids. They fit the waist and the hips tightly then starting at the thighs flared out all the way to the tops of your shoes until there was a yard of material at the bottom of each leg. 1972-1973 time slot, the very IN item of clothing to wear and always with a tight fitting, short sleeved top made of polyester. OH thanks for this site, we are celebrating our 30th anniversary and it's theme is: Back to the 60's and 70's (:0)!
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User Stories and Comments

The following are comments left about Elephant Pants from site visitors such as yourself. They are not spell checked or reviewed for accuracy.

ruby - September 20, 2007 - Report this comment
I had 5-6 pairs of cotton twill elephant pants made by "Prophet & Friends" between 72-75. The legs were very wide, the waistband very low & it had about 5 snaps horizontally on the waistband. I had black, pink, blue, cream, denim & ?. They were worn w/baby doll tops, tight polo type t-shirts & the highest wedgies (shoes) you could find. They were great.
H. Stowe - March 01, 2008 - Report this comment
Hah! My elephant bells (as we called them) were great. I bought them while vacationing in California with my birthday money back in 1972 when I was 14. They were very low-slung, hip-hugging pants with the widest bells in town. Mine were a dark-ish lavendar and I wore them with a white poly shirt that had long purple pinstripes with lavendar flowers between the stripes. The shirt didn't like to stay tucked in. For shoes I wore platform espadrille wedgies that I bought cheap in Tiajuana, Mexico. Cute shoes!
Barbie - September 06, 2008 - Report this comment
We didn't have plus sizes back then and it was hard to find clothes to fit, let alone a fashionable pair of anything, lol. I found a pair of white cotton elephant leg pants that were my size and believe me, I got my money's worth. I wore them every other day and my mother had to prey them from my hands when they were beyond wearing anymore. lol. I have never had another pair.
Kim - November 18, 2008 - Report this comment
I got them to whear when I went to CA with my parents, mine where denim and I wore them with a halter top
sue - December 31, 2008 - Report this comment
I made a pair in home ecc. tripped over them alot, but loved them.
Eileen - January 03, 2009 - Report this comment
I got a pair of Elephant leg jeans around '71' or '72.' I can't remember if I got them in California, or South Carolina. How I loved those denim jeans! They were high waisted, snug in the butt, and started to gradually flare out from the thigh, into a large bell at the bottom...and they were nice and long. How I wish I still had them, and could still fit them. ;-)
gail - May 01, 2009 - Report this comment
yep my favorite outfit in jr high was my baby yellow elephant bells (with the snaps and hip hugger)along with my 'dolman sleeve' I think? sweater...tightly ribbed around the waist. I was so cool.
lovechild of the 70s. - August 12, 2009 - Report this comment
gail! That was MY outfit! Yellow brushed denim ones! I wore mine w/ a navy & white striped (I think?) sweater set that fit kinda tight.
Laurie - August 12, 2009 - Report this comment
I loved my elephant pants!! Mine were purple and made by my grandmother as a Christmas gift in 1972. I wore them with a tight fitting white turtleneck and a purple and white granny square vest that my mom made for me as a Christmas gift same year. I couldn't have platform shoes (mom said I would trip and break my neck) so I secretly borrow my best friend's platform shoes at school and wear them all day with my elephant pants. I was hot - or at least thought I was!!! LOL
Dean Garrett - June 19, 2010 - Report this comment
We called huge bell bottoms elephant bells but I don't remember the term elephant pants. That word, elephant, was really popular in the 70s, as I remember. House plants were really popular at the time and climbing plants with big leaves were referred to as "elephant ivy."
basil - October 27, 2010 - Report this comment
Yea, 'elephant bells' is the way I remember them. Never heard the term 'elephant pants' till I tripped over my elephant bells and fell into this site
Lisa Koffler - January 18, 2011 - Report this comment
I think I wore those!
Onar - February 09, 2011 - Report this comment
In Baltimore, we called them elephant pants in the 70's. We also had "peanut pants" which was what we called those very very low hip huggers. My Mom (RIP) made me a few pair of pants with wide bells. I used a wide belt with a large buckle to hide the elastic waist band. We wore tight fitting long sleeved pucker shirts. Oh gawd. Take me back (or maybe not!)
Jill Kennemore (Campbell) - August 26, 2011 - Report this comment
yea, I grew up in Rhode Island, and I had a pair of elephant pants my mom made me, they were great, although, looking back I remember tripping on them all of the time, wow. I've never heard them called bells" but I guess it's where your from, cute, yea they just crossed by mind this morning, and had to look them up, ha ha ha
Raymond St. James - August 30, 2011 - Report this comment
I had several blue jean elephant bells that rode so low on my waist, I had to use a belt, but it had to be a wide one cause the belt loops were huge, and the bells were about as big each as the waistline, and about a one inch zipper.
Sparky - January 02, 2012 - Report this comment
I got mine in 1971 while in married and in college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I agree that they fit great in the butt and mine also rode high in the waist. Elephant leg is exactly what we used to call the huge flares! I also wore them with a denim colored almost 3" stacked shoe!
Carol - January 16, 2012 - Report this comment
I had the coolest ekephant pants ever! Got them from Sears in the "Lemon Frog" girls clothing section. They were so bright and the print was street signs!
Steven - February 13, 2013 - Report this comment
Does anyone know where you can buy them now?
Patty - July 29, 2013 - Report this comment
Santa: What do you want for Christmas little girl. Me: Elephant Bells. Santa: Do you have an elephant? Me: No Santa, they are pants. I did get them,they where white with tiny flowers. I loved them and wore them as often as I could.
Barbee - March 09, 2014 - Report this comment
I want some of that style again
murphy - March 16, 2014 - Report this comment
I owned, I think, every pair of happy leg pants on the market. This was the hottest brand in the '70s ever!
Jan Griffiths - July 31, 2017 - Report this comment
I had several pairs of these too. All my friends and I wore them so long that our shoes didn't show.

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