What do you think of side pleats on the back of a dress shirt?

[uluvbs]

-1- I know side pleats help for comfort, but are they unsightly and/or unnecessary?

-2- If I ask my tailor to modify a shirt by removing the side pleats (in other words, to create a new shirt identical but without pleats), what would I typically need to change in order to compensate (i.e., is it possible the back of my new shirt will drape in a way I do not like)?

Thank you.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by uluvbs

-1- I know side pleats help for comfort, but are they unsightly and/or unnecessary?

-2- If I ask my tailor to modify a shirt by removing the side pleats (in other words, to create a new shirt indentical but without pleats), what would I typically need to change in order to compensate (i.e., is it possible the back of my new shirt will drape in a way I do not like)?

Thank you.
I think they look fine. Others can comment with more expertise on the specific tailoring question.

 

[Sator]

I too find it bizarre that anyone would want to remove them.

If you going to do it it would be better to get your shirtmaker to make them that way from the start. Then you can be sure you won't have the fit of the shirt be off after fiddling with it like this - eg pulling around the back when you stretch your arm forwards. If this happens with a RTW shirt you have altered, it will mean a trip to the charity bin on the way home from the alterations tailor.

 

[grimslade]

I like them, the side pleats. I don't think they're unsightly, and I think you're asking for trouble trying to remove them.

 

[jgao]

Side pleats aren't unsightly. I think they look good. On that note, if you're going to go with pleats at all, I would definitely go for side pleats rather than centre pleats.

Although they are mostly for show, the shirt will look/fit differently on your shoulders without them. That's not necessarily bad, but if you like the way the shirt fits now, keep it the way it is.

 

[treegarden]

Definitely side pleats rather than a center box pleat.

 

[JayJay]

I don't like them one way or the other. I wouldn't remove them.

 

[horndog]

Side pleats look fine and much better than a center box pleat.

 

[Douglas]

I don't believe the OP is asking his tailor to remove pleats from a shirt that's already been made. I think he's asking his tailor to make his future shirts without pleats.

If I am wrong, I would strongly discourage taking apart a completed shirt to try to remove the pleats. That sounds like a recipe for disaster.

That said:

I like side pleats, they're the best-looking shirt back pleat in my opinion. They are comfortable and very nice for shirts you'll be moving around in... say for a long flight or a sales trip where you might be expected to give some kind of demonstration. Or for an active weekend. There is nothing unsightly about them.

I am not an expert, but I don't believe any other adjustments will be necessary. Your tailor will know to cut less material for the back of the shirt, and he's already got your other measurements. If he makes the shirt properly, you should not have to ask for any other adjustments.

 

[teddieriley]

Originally Posted by Douglas

I am not an expert, but I don't believe any other adjustments will be necessary. Your tailor will know to cut less material for the back of the shirt, and he's already got your other measurements. If he makes the shirt properly, you should not have to ask for any other adjustments.

+1, if you have a good shirtmaker you should be able to show him the shirt with the pleats and tell him to make you a shirt that fits like that, but without the pleats, the shirtmaker should know what to do. The pleats aren't necessary for a comfortable shirt, even if you have a wide back or broad shoulders.

I'm not a shirtmaker, so I couldn't tell you exactly if the shirt you had made needed more, less or the same material in that area to achieve the fit you want.

 

[Roger]

Originally Posted by teddieriley

+1, if you have a good shirtmaker you should be able to show him the shirt with the pleats and tell him to make you a shirt that fits like that, but without the pleats, the shirtmaker should know what to do. The pleats aren't necessary for a comfortable shirt, even if you have a wide back or broad shoulders.

I'm not a shirtmaker, so I couldn't tell you exactly if the shirt you had made needed more, less or the same material in that area to achieve the fit you want.
One advantage of side pleats is to accommodate a greater-than-average shoulder depth--or extending shoulder blades. This kind of pleat hides this better than other structures on the back. If you have a very straight back, they are unnecessary, but not in any way unsightly.

 

[Eustace Tilley]

Originally Posted by horndog

Side pleats look fine and much better than a center box pleat.

+1.

 

[billiebob]

Side pleats are much better than box pleats

Originally Posted by Eustace Tilley

+1.


+2

 

[IUtoSLU]

Originally Posted by billiebob

Side pleats are much better than box pleats




+2

+3

 

[p.o.t.u.s]

Why the hate for box pleats?