[Dashiell.Valentine]

Hello. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. I'm a grad student, so I'm on a tight budget, and I picked up about a dozen suits on ebay (using careful measurements and having each tailored). Most worked out very well.

Several, however, although they seem to fit okay, are frustrating me. I'm about 5'9" and weigh 160 or so. The double pleated pants fit nicely and look good when I'm standing. But when I sit, there is an enormous puff of fabric in the crotchal region.

I'm thinking about reselling these and only getting flat front trousers from now on. Is this a normal problem? Thanks again.

 

[ctt]

Hello. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. I'm a grad student, so I'm on a tight budget, and I picked up about a dozen suits on ebay (using careful measurements and having each tailored). Most worked out very well.

Several, however, although they seem to fit okay, are frustrating me. I'm about 5'9" and weigh 160 or so. The double pleated pants fit nicely and look good when I'm standing. But when I sit, there is an enormous puff of fabric in the crotchal region.

I'm thinking about reselling these and only getting flat front trousers from now on. Is this a normal problem? Thanks again.

You may need to have the seat taken in to take up some of the fabric.

 

[Cary Grant]

^ perhaps. Though I do find your erm, "sartorial erection" :icon_smile_big: to be pretty typical of pleated trousers.

 

[Hegemon]

I have this problem as well on some of my pants. What exactly does a tailor need to do to fix the 'disfunction'?

 

[omanae]

You may need to have the seat taken in as previously mentioned, as well as the rise lowered. If you look at the crotch of the pant you'll see a 4-way seam, if there is plenty of space between this seam and the zipper you may be able to take some fabric out at that point which could help the problem, or you could always wear your trousers higher, giving the same effect, have you considered suspenders for this?

 

[Wall]

I believe a tailor can also remove the pleats on a pair of trousers. My tailor charges about 45 dollars for this.

 

[Matt S]

You would need to wear your trousers higher. Most people these days wear their trousers too low. Are the trousers reverse-pleated? I find that forward pleats work much better when sitting down.

 

[Jovan]

What Matt S said. On top of that, you have to expect a fair amount of poofing action when wearing pleats. After all, comfort is what they were designed for!

 

[Taliesin]

An episode of the show "Curb Your Enthusiasm" addresses this, calling it the 'pants tent'. I agree with Jovan that it's pretty much inevitable with pleated trousers.

 

[Cruiser]

I'm about 5'9" and weigh 160 or so.

I'm about your size (maybe ten pounds lighter, but I've been up to 165 at one time) and I haven't found any difference in comfort level between flat front pants and pleated pants; however, I've noticed a world of difference in appearance. With every pair of pleated pants I've tried on I get the feeling that I'm wearing pants several sizes too big along with that baloon effect when I sit down.

I don't know if it's due to build, body type or what; but for whatever reason I only wear flat front pants and, like I said, I've noticed no difference in comfort. I doubt that would be true for heavier men.

Cruiser

 

[Dashiell.Valentine]

Thanks, everyone. That's very helpful information. I actually do wear suspenders sometimes, but doesn't make much difference. And I don't mind wearing pants high on the waist, but I have a short torso, so too high can start to look pretty ridiculous.

I'm glad to know that it can be tailored. I wasn't sure about that. They are standard forward pleats, I believe. Occurring especially with Brooks Brothers and Hickey Freeman suits.

Sartorial erection, is definitely a great phrase for it. It always reminds me of when I walk into a hot tub with swim trunks on and a giant air bubble gets caught in the shorts.

Thanks again, for the helpful information.

 

[Hegemon]

You may need to have the seat taken in as previously mentioned, as well as the rise lowered. If you look at the crotch of the pant you'll see a 4-way seam, if there is plenty of space between this seam and the zipper you may be able to take some fabric out at that point which could help the problem, or you could always wear your trousers higher, giving the same effect, have you considered suspenders for this?

You all would laugh if I wore my trousers any higher. Pair that with suspenders and glasses and I'd be the next Steve Urkel.

I think the solution is two-fold: take out some fabric as you suggested, but also nip the problem in the bud - don't buy pants with a big poof when I sit.

 

[Jovan]

Depends how high. One person's high rise is another's low.

 

[Bespoke Trout]

Just go with it. When this happens to me, I stuff it with three pairs of socks and DARE anyone to say anything.

 

[16412]

A quick change maybe to let out the back fork about half an inch. I don't know how much this will help. But, the seat cut is probably to straight and should have a longer fork, and the front needs more in front and less on the side seam. With pleats it is possible to redo the zipper, a lot of work I wouldn't want to do, by removeing some of the front fork. But your trousers still doesn't have enough stride (back part) to do complete justice.

When sitting is there tightness on the inseam of the legs? I suppose if you are sitting for a while there is pressure into the crotch.

 

[Cruiser]

You all would laugh if I wore my trousers any higher. Pair that with suspenders and glasses and I'd be the next Steve Urkel.

Wasn't Urkel partying with NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and former NFL star Michael Strahan the night Barkley was arrested for DUI? Maybe Urkel isn't such a nerd after all. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser

 

[Frank aka The Minotaur]

Though I do find your erm, "sartorial erection" :icon_smile_big: to be pretty typical of pleated trousers.

Aka a "genie weenie".

 

[kkollwitz]

I think a pleat puff when seated beats the flat front radiating crotch wrinkles hands down.

 

[Hegemon]

Just go with it. When this happens to me, I stuff it with three pairs of socks and DARE anyone to say anything.

Fantastic. :icon_smile_big:

 

[Dashiell.Valentine]

To answer your question WA, (by the way, I spent most of my life in Washington. Born in Clarkston, raised in Yakima, CC in Vancouver, and Uni in Seattle. Loved it there), no, the pants are not too tight in the inseam.

I have one pair of pleated pants like that. A bit snug around the thighs when I squat, but not too bad, and the puff problem is pretty minimal on those.

My worst pants, although they fit well in the waist, are pretty baggy all throughout with about an 18.5" rise (from waistband to fork?), a 9.25" zipper, and about 3.5" distance from zipper to fork.

I assume that the baggyness is part of the style, but nonetheless, these trousers seem cut for a much taller man. Do you think tailoring is a viable option, given these measurements? Or is it best to trade these suits in on some better sizes? Thanks again for the help.