Fashion, for all that it looks toward the future, is a reactive industry. New trends are born from a rejection of current trends, then as those new trends mature and become ubiquitous, they inspire resulting new trends that reject the new standard. The recent history of pleats in trousers is a textbook example of this tendency. In the 1990’s, pleated pants filled store shelves and appeared on gentlemen of all ages and professions. Perhaps the worst offenders were the pleated chinos, double and sometimes even triple-pleated across the crotch, creating a baggy mess that only contributed to the voluminous nature of the pants. The fashion world rejected this strongly around the beginning of the 00’s, turning out slim-fitting pants with flat fronts inspired by the 1960’s. The pleated pants from the 90’s continued to be sold, but they were looked upon with scorn, branded a fashion pariah. Now, almost ten years after the flat front rebellion, pleats are gradually creeping back into the pants from the leading manufacturers.
A pleat is a fold in cloth created by doubling fabric back over itself and then stitching it in place. They began appearing on trousers in the 19th century, where they were seen as a feature of sporting gear. The utility of pleats is that they create additional room in the front of pants, allowing some leeway around the waist, particularly when sitting. They were especially useful on older pants, which fastened up at the natural waist as opposed to at the hips as modern pants do. As often happens, what was a casual style element was gentrified by dandies in the upper classes, and pleats became associated with fancier clothes. They also continued to provide benefit to older gentlemen who were more portly in their golden years than they had been in their youth.
There is a golden mean between the billowing pleats of the 90’s and the uncompromising flat fronts of the 00’s. Pleats are not a cardinal sin in pants; as mentioned above, they have their uses. However, they should not be an excuse to neglect fit in a pair of trousers. You should aim for a pair that is still fitted, though perhaps not as slim as flat-front pants. Pleated pants need to be slightly more substantial. Also, to avoid the still-looming specter of the 90’s, we might suggest looking for pants with a single pleat on each side, as opposed to double pleats. Triple pleats, it goes without saying, are right out.
