Trousers · Est. 1972
Pleats,reconsidered
Dismissed for twenty years as dad trousers. The men wearing them now are not the men who wore them then.
Pleats add fabric where you sit and move, without looking baggy. The revival works because the rise came up with it — most men wearing pleats successfully use an 11 to 13 inch rise, which lets the pleat fall from the waist rather than the hip. Gurkha trousers add a double-buckle waistband and no belt loops. Fitted in Arlington.
Why they came back
Flat fronts have a real limitation
Sit down in slim flat-front trousers and the cloth pulls tight across the thigh. Stand up and you are adjusting them. Pleats solve that by putting fabric exactly where the body needs it.
The comfort argument matters more in this climate than most. More cloth through the leg means more airflow, which is a genuine consideration in July rather than a theoretical one.
The proportion argument is the one that convinces men once they see it. A higher rise with a pleat lengthens the leg line, and it is particularly flattering on an athletic build — the men who look worst in slim flat fronts usually look best in these.
Getting the fit right
Where the old stereotype came from
- Rise
- The decision that makes or breaks them. Between 11 and 13 inches for most men. Too low and the pleat sits on your hip and bulges, which is exactly the look that killed pleats in the first place.
- Number of pleats
- One is modern and quieter; two is more traditional and gives more room. Both are correct — the choice is about how much you want them noticed.
- Direction
- Forward pleats, opening toward the pockets, are the standard here. Reverse pleats are a different tradition and read as more formal.
- Leg and taper
- Room through the thigh, tapering to the hem. This is what separates a modern pleated trouser from a 1990s one — the volume is deliberate and it goes somewhere.
- Cuff
- An inch and a half to an inch and three quarters. Cuffs add weight at the hem and help the cloth hang properly, which pleated trousers benefit from more than flat fronts.
Gurkha trousers
The same idea, taken further
- The waistband
- A double-buckle closure that cinches the cloth, named for the Nepalese soldiers who wore them. It is the defining feature and the reason they look different from across a room.
- No belt loops
- The buckles do the work, which leaves a clean, uninterrupted line at the waist. It also means the fit has to be right — there is less room to compensate later.
- How formal
- More of a statement than a plain pleated trouser. They work with a knit polo and loafers as readily as with a sport coat, but they will be noticed either way.
- Cloth
- They suit a cloth with some body — a heavier cotton, a linen blend, or a mid-weight wool. Anything too fluid and the waistband detail collapses.
- Who they suit
- Men who already own the basics and want something with more character. This is not a first purchase.
Common questions
Pleated trousers, answered
Are pleated trousers back in style?
Yes, though the current version is not the 1990s one. The difference is the rise and the taper: modern pleated trousers sit higher on the waist and narrow toward the hem, so the extra fabric reads as deliberate volume rather than sag.
Will pleated trousers make me look heavier?
Not if the rise and taper are right — that is the whole question. Cut correctly they skim the thigh and narrow toward the hem, which reads as a longer leg line. Cut with a low rise and no taper they do the opposite, which is how they got their reputation in the first place.
Are pleats flattering on an athletic build?
Usually more flattering than flat fronts. If you have thighs that fill out a trouser, slim flat fronts pull and strain across them, while a pleat gives that room without adding bulk anywhere else. It is one of the few genuine fit advantages in menswear.
What are Gurkha trousers?
Trousers with a wide double-buckle waistband that wraps and cinches, taking the place of belt loops. The name comes from the Nepalese soldiers who wore them. They are a stronger visual statement than plain pleated trousers and suit a cloth with some body.
Can I wear pleated trousers with a sport coat?
Yes, and it is arguably their best use. The extra volume through the leg balances a jacket better than a slim flat front does, particularly if the jacket is unstructured. Keep the trouser cloth a clear step different from the jacket so it does not read as a mismatched suit.
Can you make pleated trousers to measure?
Yes, and it is the sensible route for these. Rise, pleat count and taper are exactly the variables that off-the-rack fixes for you, and they are the variables that decide whether pleats look good on you.
Try a pair on
Book with Patrick or Austin
Rise is impossible to judge from a photograph. Five minutes in a fitting room settles it.
Book with PatrickBook with Austin
100 S. West Street, Arlington, Texas 76010
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm · Closed Sunday
(817) 265-1116