Trousers: Pleated vs Flat Front ?

[NAVA23]

Are pleated trousers considered "out of style" or classic ? What do you think?

 

[gdl203]

 

[bleachboy]

 

[Reevolving]

Horrendously out of style.

 

[JayJay]

+

 

[ljrcustom]

common man.

-LR

 

[greger]

They never come or go out of style. Some times they are more popular than other times. But they are always good to wear or not to wear.

 

[Matt S]

Pleated trousers are classic and practical. They have been for the past 80 years. Forward pleats (inward facing) are most traditional and IMO most attractive. Reverse pleats (outward facing) throw the extra cloth in all the wrong places. Flat front pants are equally classic and happen to be more fashionable for the moment. Properly cut, any of the 3 styles are classic.

 

[roller]

I don't think it's a matter of style but rather the size of your waist. Flat front compliment a thin or medium build while the opposite is true for pleated.

 

[DaBatMan]

I'm a larger guy (6'3" 245lbs) and I've recently become a fan of the flat front pant. I think they really compliment my build and gives me that sleek, trim look that I've been shooting for. Still have pleated as well but have now begun to add some flat front trousers and khakis to my arsenal.

 

[Ianiceman]

Like they say above, both are acceptable but the current trend is for close fitting suits with natural shoulders and nipped waists and slimmfitting strides with flat fronts. Thom Brown has taken this to an extreme but not so long ago Pat Riley and many NBA players were at the vanguard of a look that had big shoulders and very loose fitting pleated strides.

My suggestion is keep your pleated odd strides but try to wear them with a blazer or sports jacket. Flat fronts are better when worn without a jacket than pleated fronts.

 

[HPress]

Originally Posted by Reevolving

Horrendously out of style.

Whatever you say, old man.

 

[dasai]

Originally Posted by roller

I don’t think it’s a matter of style but rather the size of your waist. Flat front compliment a thin or medium build while the opposite is true for pleated.
Really, it has to do more with the shape of your hips and thighs than anything else. I'm reasonably slim (32" waist), but I have a cyclist-build (41" hip, 23" thigh) that makes flat fronts impossible unless I go a size up and get the waist taken in. (Or go bespoke, but it's harder to get custom clothes on sale.) I try to go for flat fronts on casual slacks, though. The pleats look too "dressy" for casual wear, and pleated chinos in particular scream "business casual!". In short, go with what fits your body type best. Or get the slacks made up and get them however you want.

 

[khaki sack]

Pleated. Single, of course.

Pleated is the new Flat Front.

 

[dragon8]

Originally Posted by khaki sack

Pleated. Single, of course.

Pleated is the new Flat Front.

I love the single pleat-best of both worlds.

I wouldn't go that far to say that pleated is the new flat-front though.