In a StyleWatch cover story for People, Lainey Wilson explained the origins of her signature bell-bottom pants look— a style she's embraced since a young age and hopes to never abandon.
Wilson first fell in love with the '70s fashion staple around age 8 or 9 when her mother bought her a pair that, naturally, were blue leopard print.
"It was to the point where my mom was like, 'Lainey, [you've] got to take them off. [We've] got to wash them,' " Wilson said. "But I loved them. I loved the way that they made me feel. They made me feel sassy and like I could do anything."
That feeling of near invincibility came in handy once Wilson moved to Nashville and attempted to shatter the glass ceiling faced there by women.
"I realized really quick that as a female in country music, it does not matter if you have a decent voice or if you're a decent songwriter," she explained. "You've got to do something that is outside the box to get noticed. I thought, 'What could I wear that would make me feel like I could take on the whole dang world?' For me, it was bell-bottoms."
She's stuck with that look since, whether she's on stage as part of Luke Combs' World Tour or gracing the red carpet with her partner, Devlin "Duck" Hodges.
"There's no such thing as too many," she said. "We still keep it fun. We still keep it interesting. I feel like I get to get up every single morning and get to express myself however I am feeling that day, just like writing a song."
Wilson doesn't intend to adopt a different look as her career progresses.
"I'll probably be 90 years old and still wearing bell-bottoms — I don't think anybody's ever seen my ankles!" she added.
With her usual Southern charm, Wilson snuck in a joke about the rumors that Dolly Parton wears long sleeves to hide tattoos.
"I know, everyone's like, 'She's got tattoos under there.' I'll show y'all I don't!," Wilson said.
