Pleats Vs. Flat Front

[JuniorJetSet]

Which do you prefer, pleated or flat front pants? Are flat fronts meant to be more dressy? Someone mentioned a few months ago that Europeans generally eschew pleated pants. Should the well-dressed man's closet include both pleated and flat front pants?


thanks

 

[JuniorJetSet]

Bump...

 

[bigbadbuff]

flat front pants look terrible on many men IMO. A lot of the folks here like them and I do as well, but I prefer sharp pleated trousers to flat front.

 

[AskAndyAboutClothes]

Junior:

Pleats and cuffs are traditional. Flat front pants have been with us for years and presently are trendy.

Pleats automatically widen at the hips when you sit giving you more room when you need it. Pleats also let you put more stuff in your front pockets including your hands without disturbing the drape. If you're wearing the right size pants, pleats are actually slimming.

Suit trousers should have pleats and cuffs.

Andy

 

[Sevcom]

Neither is particularly dressier, though higher rise pleated trousers made for braces are probably more formal than low-rise flat-fronts.

Personally, I prefer flat-fronts, but I alternate between slimmer ones and roomier Varvatos-like ones. The only pleated trousers I have now are the bottom halves of suits, and that's not intentional.

As for cuffs, I only wear small ones on pleated trousers, in a nod to 20th century tradition. But they're also not de rigeur (and actually less formal). To aid drape on cuffless trousers, have a tailor sew a canvas strip onto the bottoms.

 

[scot]

I have both, and generally prefer flat front pants overall. Unfortunately they aren't perfect for me due to my body shape, I am a thin guy with a butt. This stretches the fabric a bit and can make the pockets push out from your side, disturbing the slim line of your pants. I believe full custom pants would solve my issue, but I cant afford that just yet.

My girlfriend greatly prefers the flat front, which is the real reason to wear them.

Scot

 

[imageWIS]

I have both, and generally prefer flat front pants overall. Unfortunately they aren't perfect for me due to my body shape, I am a thin guy with a butt. This stretches the fabric a bit and can make the pockets push out from your side, disturbing the slim line of your pants. I believe full custom pants would solve my issue, but I cant afford that just yet.

My girlfriend greatly prefers the flat front, which is the real reason to wear them.

Scot

That's what happens when you let women dictate your style...

Jon.

 

[sirgarnetwolseley]

Indeed. I prefer single forward pleats. I find forward pleats more functional for pockets than reverse pleats, and far more comfortable than flat-fronts. While I am slim, I think single forward pleats can work for most builds. Some of my trousers are cuffed some are not. I do not consider one style to be more formal than the other on a suit.

 

[Drew]

I prefer flat front, but do own some pleated pants that I enjoy.

 

[gorgekko]

I tend to wear single pleated pants though I have on occasion bought flat front.

 

[matadorpoeta]

Suit trousers should have pleats and cuffs.

Andy

i don't know where andy gets his information but pleats and cuffs are simply a matter of preference.

try on different styles and see which you like best. many on this forum describe flat-fronts as slimming but it depends on your body shape. i have large thighs and look best in single-pleated pants. flat fronts only make my legs look bigger.

btw, cuffs do look more conservative.

 

[MilanoStyle]

I have flat, pleated, double pleated suit dress pants. Â I do not have big thigh, so I can wear any style and I look ok. But if you have football player thigh, then you need pleated pants. The one thing I do not follow tradition with pleated pants is cuff. Â If pleated pants has narrow cut, then I do cuffs, otherwise I do not do cuffs. Â I know this is not common, but I like it. Oh guys, please try 2" or 3" (if u are tall) cuffs. It looks very stylish. I cannot stand at those 1.25" skinny cuffs

 

[A Harris]

I prefer well cut flat-front pants, but that is due to my particular body type. I'm very long waisted, so no RTW pleated pants, even hight-rise ones, actually reach my waist. They hit somewhere in the middle which is not very flattering, makes you look thicker than you are. A flat-front pant with a fairly low rise is much better looking on me in RTW. The best examples I've found are all from Luciano Barbera, perfect.

 

[gorgekko]

Oh guys, please try 2" or 3" (if u are tall) cuffs. It looks very stylish.

I would have to respectfully disagree with this. Three inches? You'd have to be Shaquille O'Neal.

 

[tiger02]

I seem to have an amalgamation of everyone's problems, fairly thin waist but then...substantial...butt and thighs. To the tune of 31 waist, 40 or 41 hips, 5'7" tall. Pants with enough of a rise to meet my waist tend to be way too big. My best bet has been lower rise flat front pants, as pleats seem to open up on me when I walk. I'm always in the market for odd trousers that fit, there aren't many out there. Any recommendations for pants or jeans that are 1.) full through the hips and thighs and 2.) somewhat 'modern'--fashionable even? For reference, my best fitting jeans are a pair of 31-30 Diesel Ravix which are 'relaxed fit,' but not on me.