Sometimes.
Today, trim cuts are in. If you've no suit coat to accentuate the positive in your physique, or hide behind, flat front trousers are almost a commandment of style. The good news is, you can find flat front trousers in a variety of rises and fullness of cuts. If you can't find a brand that works for you (I really like J. Crew's khakis and Incotex's wool trousers), remember that MTM or custom will fit and feel comfortable. An alternate suggestion is to have a single reverse pleat (opening to the pocket side of the trouser) that will allow for extra room when seated for long periods of time — driving, for example — which gives you the look of a flat front.
The key to looking stylish among the fashionable is to wear a trimmer cut trouser. Nothing droopy, nothing that gaps open at the pleat(s), nothing tight enough that the pockets pop out on flat fronts like Alfred E. Newman's ears. Trim cuts — not skinny — are the goal here. Go as trim as you can with a slightly lower rise if you are not going to wear a sports coat.
Many will wonder about cuffs/turn-ups on trimmer cut and flat front trousers. You can't go wrong either way these days. I usually cuff pleated trousers (1 3/4″ – 2″) and leave the trim flat fronts with a hem and slightest of breaks. Do what looks right with your shoe and the weight of the material of the trouser.
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Oh I know trim is in, but it just looks like people are walking around in clothes that are too small. I get physically uncomfortable flipping through the J.Crew catalog. Makes me want to strip down and run around naked… Okay. Perhaps, I am a bit claustraphobic. 🙂 Have a great weekend, xo, N.G.
I have thick thighs, or at least thighs that make it almost impossible to find a pair of flat front pants that don’t pop out at the pockets.
So I have rediscovered the elegance of pleats. I also wear them almost exclusively at work, since I spend most to the time sitting at a desk on the phone in between meeting with customers. Being considered somewhat unfashionable by my younger colleagues is a price I’m willing to pay to avoid the dreaded “x-crease” that forms on the fronts of their flat fronts.
I just wish it was easier to find ready to wear single reverse pleats instead of what I have to settle for now.
Nicholas, have you considered custom? That should work. Nothing wrong with pleats, either!