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Intrigued, I asked a few flare devotees about where they’ve scored their retro trousers. “I own what I consider to be the best flared jeans in recent history: the faded indigo ones from Celine spring 2020,” says Samuel Hine, GQ’s fashion writer. “They’re very tax-exile-era Rolling Stones. Saint Laurent made a great pair of black flares for spring 2023 too, and I recently bought a pair of high-waisted, washed-out flared jeans from the French tailoring brand Husbands.” His most worn pair, however? “A pair of thrashed Levi’s 517s I found on eBay,” he says. “They have the most subtle cut of them all.”
Meanwhile, stylist Luke Day (another prolific flare wearer) favors vintage pairs. “I have quite a comprehensive collection of flared jeans,” he shares. “Vintage ones. I’ve found Boot Star in LA, and What Goes Around Comes Around in NYC. I have some Gucci Tom Ford–era ones that I love.” In addition to new options from brands like Saint Laurent, 73 London, and Sandro x Wrangler, Day shares that “the majority of my favorite ones are Balenciaga. I literally bulk buy.”
Keeping their recommendations in mind, I headed to the internet to find my very first pair of flares. I loved the idea of a darker-wash pair, which I could wear with a leather or corduroy blazer. Though eBay presented a gold mine of options (I’m still debating this vintage Levi’s pair), I landed on a brand new style from Ernest W. Baker. I loved how slim-fitting they are to the knee, and the subtle flare through the ankle. Bell-bottoms run the risk of looking cheesy or costumey, but these felt streamlined—like they can be paired with anything. And based on how everyone else is wearing them this season, the key to pulling them off is to pair them with more current pieces, to offset their retro feel.
Photographed by Phil Oh