Upvote:2
The USN began the phasing out bell-bottom dungarees in 1999, by the mid 2000's, they were no longer an authorized article of uniform, replaced by the Navy Working Uniform (NWU), a blue-grey camouflage pattern similar in cut to the Army BDU.
Why did it take so long? There is a tendency to use available uniforms in the practical supply stock from the time of the beginning of the phase out is exhausted.
I can remember in the late 1960s when bell bottoms were considered stylish, one could go to the base ships store where one could buy uniforms and get a pair at a reasonable price, your choice, zipper fly or button fly, but either buttoned at the waist, no snaps.