The baggy jeans sported by Bee Gees and Abba have made a comeback – ALEXANDRA SHULMAN explains why

It’s a retro look that reminds us of the days when Abba and the Bee Gees ruled the charts.

Bringing some 1970s cool to London last week was Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz, seen in a pair of high-waisted denim flares on her way to Soho restaurant Quo Vadis.

The British actress, who is married to James Bond actor Daniel Craig, is currently starring in Amazon’s TV remake of David Cronenberg’s creepy 1988 film Dead Ringers.

But it is another Amazon series, Daisy Jones & The Six – inspired by Fleetwood Mac and starring Elvis’s granddaughter Riley Keough – that is driving the new fad for flares.

Weisz, 53, who plays identical twin gynaecologists in Dead Ringers, rocked the retro look which has been adopted by a string of other A-list celebrities in recent weeks.

Barbie actress Margot Robbie paired her blue flares with a bikini top at a red carpet event in Los Angeles

Among them is Barbie actress Margot Robbie, who last month paired her blue flares with a bikini top at a red carpet event in Los Angeles. Pop superstar Jennifer Lopez, however, opted for a brown corduroy pair as she ran errands while also in LA.

Fashion Verdict 

By Alexandra Shulman

The sight of some of the world’s most glamorous women in saggy, baggy denim will be painful for skinny jeans devotees. But wide-legged, high-waisted flares are the shape of summer.

I understand the attraction. For those of us who were teens in the 1970s, there’s a nostalgic reminder of lying on the floor desperately tugging up the zips of our loon pants. The tighter the fit around the hips, the wider the trendy flares appeared. Margot Robbie’s Chanel jeans, teamed with a tiny bra top and glittering bolero, is pure Laurel Canyon – the wildly cool Hollywood Hills postcode of the era.

Rachel Weisz has another of that period’s style staples over her arm – the brown suede jacket. While J Lo’s velvet hipster flares, skinny crop-top and huge buckled belt are 1970s gold.

J Lo’s velvet hipster flares, skinny crop-top and huge buckled belt are 1970s gold

The revival of the vibe of a bedraggled troubadour has been boosted by TV’s Daisy Jones & The Six – a drama about the tumultuous lives and loves of a fictional Fleetwood Mac-type band.

The appeal lies in their lack of any hint of conventional glamour. It’s not just a trend for the habituees of New York and California. M&S’s best-selling jeans style this summer is, guess what, high-waist, wide-legged, fade-dyed denim. That’s fashion.