[Flanderian]

I just got in the mail (after UPS delivered it to the wrong house across the street) a pair of O'Connell's Khaki Cotton Gabardine Trousers. This is part of my sartorial journey to find what's right for me in clothing. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and see if I liked two things: cotton gabardine and double forward pleats. O'Connell's had them for only $135 so I ordered a pair. They have double forward pleats, belt loops, on seam side pockets, jetted rear pockets with a button on the left one, and I asked for plain hemmed bottoms. Briefly tried them on and here are my thoughts. The fabric is very soft and comfortable but I don't know how well it'll do in the heat. It fits nicely around my waist and the hemming is spot on. The threads aren't the best, there are some strands. But the big question is what I thought of the double forward pleats. Honestly, I'm still unsure. They are roomy but they're big. It makes my legs look like tree trunks and I don't think it looks good on me (I'm a little more top heavy compared to my legs). So overall, I like them so far but I don't think double forward pleats are for me. I'll post some photos soon to get people's opinions, but I think I may prefer single reverse pleats.

O'Connell's pleated front Cotton Dress Gabardine Trousers - Khaki

I started wearing pleated trousers around 1980. Initially I had to adapt to what is a different aesthetic. Now I would wear nothing else for that reason alone.

If you have a larger torso, I'd suggest you might consider if a bit more mass might help balance out your physique agreeably. Not what you see in ads, or fashion shoots, but objectively, often more appealing.