Bootcuts are so hot right now – and not just on Kendrick Lamar

There’s a lot to say about Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, which took place last night (February 9) at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The rapper’s “Not Like Us” victory lap continued with a whole new level of US symbolism, as well as cameos from Serena Williams and SZA – both of whom are said to have dated Drake.

Today, conversations are jumping between the performance, Donald Trump’s attendance, Taylor Swift’s getting booed, Kansas City Chiefs’ almighty loss, SZA’s mic (and if it was on), Serena Williams’ Crip Walk, and the protester who interrupted the show with a Sudan-Gaza flag. On social media however, the focus seems to be on Kendrick’s fashion. Specifically, those jeans.

Styled by Taylor McNeill, Kendrick stormed the pitch wearing a custom jacket by Martine Rose, Nike Air DT Max ‘96s, a Rahaminov brooch worth $68,000 and a pair of Celine’s low-waisted, loose-fitting bootcut jeans that pooled around his ankles. “Can’t believe Kendrick did all that in the most Hannah Montana lookin bootcut jeans I’ve seen in years,” wrote @gingahninjaa on X.

Though the divisive trouser choice has generated a wealth of memes, it’s not the first time this year that a male celebrity has opted to get loose at the knee. A dedicated follower of the flare, Pharrell stepped out as recently as last week wearing a pair of light-wash, bootcut jeans. Meanwhile, the week before, he wore a similar pair while attending the Sacai show during Paris Fashion Week men’s.

When not wearing them himself, Pharrell has been showcasing flares at his Louis Vuitton shows, too. Take his Western-inspired AW24 men’s collection for example, which featured several monogrammed pairs of bootcuts plus snakeskin iterations too. Then they showed up again in LV’s SS25 men’s show, as well as for pre-fall 25.

Then, the week before last, red carpet favourite Colman Domingo attended the 2025 London Critics’ Circle Film Awards wearing a full Amiri AW25 look, 70s collar and flares in tow. “My friend Mike Amiri is just a stellar human and a stellar artist,” Domingo said of the American fashion designer on Instagram.

Perhaps uncoincidentally, both Williams and Domingo are gearing up to play host at this year’s Met Gala, where the exhibition theme will be Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, based around the political and aesthetic constructs of Black dandyism. The concept of dandyism has been a constant reference for Williams throughout each of his LV collections, with his most recent PFW show being a take on ‘dandy streetwear’.

Flares, or bell-bottoms, are thought to have been around since the 19th century, when American sailors adopted them because they were easier to remove when wet. Supposedly, they also made it easier to fish people out of the water if they’d fallen overboard. By the mid-19th century, they were part of the official uniform of the British Royal Navy. By the late 60s, flares had infiltrated mainstream fashion with the help of designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Bob Mackie, but it wasn’t just Sonny and Cher that they were associated with, it was dandyism too.

Take Samuel Fosso’s self-portraits from the 70s for example; Malik Sidibé’s portraits from Mali in the mid-60s, or Ernest Cole’s photographs of New Yorkers during the same time period. Flares have been a key component of Black dandyism for the past 60 years. It’s no wonder then that, as Williams and Domingo prepare to host the Met, their trousers are getting wider and wider at the shin. 

As for Kendrick’s bootcuts, Hedi Slimane has been sending flares down the catwalk for some time too. In fact, these specific jeans first appeared on Slimane’s Celine catwalk in 2019 during his SS20 collection. Initially designed for women, the ‘Serge’ jeans are a tribute to Serge Gainsbourg and transcend traditional gender codes – similarly to dandyism.

Whether you love or loathe them, they’re creeping onto catwalks, dominating one of the biggest TV spectacles of the year, and are about to be everywhere come the first Monday in May. Brace yourself, the bootcut is well and truly back.