Please Pleat Me, Oh Yea…

Oh dear, what are the wetsuit-tight-suited and their admirers to do? Pleated trousers are making a comeback.

I suspect that this has to do with the men who made the skinny suit popular reaching middle-age and filling out a bit. It may also have to do with the summer ebing around the corner. A little looser fit is helpful when things get hot and steamy. Or could it be the penchant for athleisure has returned dividends and those devotees have realized that a pleat (or two) adds to the functionality and comfort of a dress trouser?

We really only get rid of pleats and cuffs when we go to cloth rationing, usually because of a need to make more military uniforms. Less (cloth) = more (uniforms for the troops.) Sure fashion plays into the equation as well. In the 50s, our demobbed men wore their GI flat-front khakis to college on the GI Bill and started a look. The 60’s hip-huggers brought sexy back, first to the hippies and then the swingin’ singles of the disco-era 70s. Heidi Slimane showed us the heroin chic/ rocker thing. Thom Browne was known for the amazing shrinking, ankle baring suit, etc. .

But here we are. Less Gordon Gekko and Julian Kay, but peated none-the-less.

Whatever is the root cause, I’m happy to see it. Variety is the spice of life after all, and elegance is often found in both the details and the comfort of your garments.

There are two things that I see here that may help pleated trousers to gain greater acceptance, the cut and the models. The trousers are cut in a tapered or straight legged (opening at 16?”) fashion allowing them to wear closer to the thigh and calf than the voluminous trouser of the late 80s and 90s. And the second thing? All the models are in pretty good shape, even though pleats can flatter anyone. ‘Nuff said.

My purpose with this blog has been to find the “easy and elegant” solution to things. “Easy” as in simple, but also “relaxed” or “nonchalant.” A silhouette that combines the (slight) fullness of pleats with a more tailored top is a smart step in that direction.