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Pleats or Flat Front

10282 Views 53 Replies 27 Participants Last post by  rocco
I need to buy 1 or 2 new suits. I generally hope to get 5 years out of my investment, so I want to make sure I am buying at the beginning of a fashion trend as opposed to the end. As such, I believe I should be looking at a 2 button, side vent Jacket with flat front pants with plain bottoms. I understand the flat fronts have been popular for a few years know, so my concern is that it may be time to pants with a single pleat.

Any suggestions?
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We recently sent out a survey regarding our own line of suits, and for what it's worth, 39.8% (191 respondents) prefer flat front trousers, whereas 22.3% (107) preferred a single reverse pleat, followed by 17.5% (84) preferring a double reverse pleat. Our suits will come mostly with flat front trousers, but we will be offering a line of solid suit separates that will have the option of flat front and/or single reverse pleated trousers (will also have an optional vest!)
This thread seems to be saying above all else that it is best to be guided by personal taste rather than to determine the cut of your trouser based on popularity or fashion.

I have worn flat front trousers for many years and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.
... exactly my point. So your caustic post telling the OP that if he had bothered to search etc. was rude and unnecessary.
BB Flat Front

Maybe the respondent was at an outlet store. The price may be prohibitive to some, but they are available. Last year, I bought three flat front trousers at BB from their Country Club collection. These ran $234 retail. I also bought two Regent suits with the single pleat. BB has 25% off sales frequently, and if you like their clothes, the sale prices are not too high.
I think when they said BB didn't have much for flat front, they were referring to the pants as part of the suits, not as separate trousers. When looking at the pants as part of a suit, BB's selection is very limited. I have bought four suits in the past few months there and had to have the pleats removed on three of them (With only the fitzgerald model originally having flat front). FWIW, I prefer no cuffs.
Quality never goes out of style, so wear what suits you best.

Personally i prefer single pleat on suit pants which i usually have in a slightly wider leg, sometimes cuffed sometimes not. I dislike double pleats. I also prefer the classic 3 button jacket.

Dress trousers i prefer in a flat front with a slimmer leg and uncuffed.
Quality never goes out of style, so wear what suits you best.
Good advice and so many of the things we talk about here such as vents, cuffs, pleats, etc. are just a matter personal preference. If one style was vastly superior to another, they would only make the one.

Cheers, Jim.
This is something I posted elsewhere...
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I stick to my understanding: plain fronts are uncomfortable.

Since I love using vests because they cover up all the shirt wrinkles, the suspenders and let the tie be whatever length...

^^ No pleat pants, plain fronts, look ok. But when I wear them they really are uncomfortable.
Plain fronts tend to allow little in the pockets, and if a person has an abdomen it constricts.
Until I am super thin they just don't wear well.
Women love them, because the line is clean.

But, I use double pleats most often....

^^ I like the 30's look! A clean vest with the lines coming out into full pants has a kind of fluting that contrasts.
Seems most people think it is a fashion flaw, but as a style it's what it is.
Pleats give pocket room and abdomen room, but make you look a little fuller bodied.
Some men need space down there. -_-;

When I wear flat fronts it tends to look like this unless the waist is a size larger....

^^ You get tightness in ass and crotch!
It creates pleats of a different kind.
Looks like I am advertising my goods.
Yow. Zuh.

But, without a vest I find pleats complicate the lines of the outfit...

Well, without suspenders I should say.
The fuss of the shirt piled into belted pants, and the belt loops and constricting belt make a lot of visual fuss around the waist.

With suspenders I tend to get clean lines...

Shirts go cleanly into pants, the hang of the pants is nice, lack of belt and loops helps clean up the waist.
I am seriously falling in love with suspenders now.
You never see them, unless the vest and coat comes off, but they really make pants enjoyable.
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The quick drawings are sloppy, but you get the essence of the idea. :teacha:
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Flat unless fat.
You win the award for most ridiculous statement of the day. Pleats look great even on thin guys. The pleataphobia some of you guys have is distrubing, for you not me. Pleats and plain front pants come in and out of style just like cuffs. If you like them, you like them. If not, no big deal.

I love pleated pants and wear them all the time. At 5'9" and 136lbs I aint fat and never have been.
Odd trousers: flat.

Suit trousers: flat or single pleated.

No more than a single pleat, please.
I'm going to repeat what I said yesterday, who cares? Well, actually I didn't say who cares, but that's what I meant. If you like pleats, wear pleats. If you like flat front, wear flat front. Why the concern over what the next guy is wearing?

I only wear flat fronts but I don't think that there is something wrong with you if you don't. I might think that there is something wrong with you, but if so it will be for some other reason than whether or not you have pleats in your pants. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser
Spot on Cruiser. I don't know why that is such a difficult concept.

Cheers, Jim.
With suspenders I tend to get clean lines...

Shirts go cleanly into pants, the hang of the pants is nice, lack of belt and loops helps clean up the waist.
I am seriously falling in love with suspenders now.
You never see them, unless the vest and coat comes off, but they really make pants enjoyable.
--------------------------
The quick drawings are sloppy, but you get the essence of the idea. :teacha:
The drawings are fine and they really do help illustrate the points you are making.

I started wearing braces last year and, like you, find them more comfortable than a belt. Too bad they don't look good without a jacket or I would wear them all the time. I guess that is a look for lumberjacks and not many others.

Btw, if you fancy Thurston braces, you can buy them direct and there is no charge for postage. On their website they also have a small section at special prices.

Cheers, Jim.
Add my vote for flat front, cuffed pants, 2-button jacket.
I'm going to repeat what I said yesterday, who cares?
We do. You don't. Don't you get tired posting this in every thread?

Spot on Cruiser. I don't know why that is such a difficult concept.
Who cares is not a difficult concept. The problem with it is that it is useless.
I think that as the original poster seemed to be concerned about
buying at the beginning of a fashion trend
then I think
who cares
is a very appropriate response indeed! :teacha:

This is a sartorial discussion forum. Not a girly make up party! :pic12337:
We do. You don't. Don't you get tired posting this in every thread?
I don't think "we" do. I think "you" do and some others but you aren't everybody.

I don't post this in every thread, you just say that I do. Just because you say it over and over doesn't make it true.

Let me put it another way, if I want to wear flat front pants (which I do) I don't really care one way or the other what you think about that as far as it being "correct". I consider it a matter of individual taste.

And I really doubt that you care what others think about your choice in this matter, otherwise you would be changing back and forth from pleats to flats at every turn trying to comply with what those around you want you to wear. I suspect that you wear whichever style you personally prefer and you would dismiss someone's opinion that you are wearing the wrong style pants.

Beyond pants, you have repeated many times that I constantly say things like "anything goes", to use your most oft repeated phrase attributed to me. I have never said anything like this and have asked you many times to show me where I have, all without a response from you. You say things like this about me and this disappear only to come back later and repeat it.

The fact is that when it comes to something like pleats or flat, cuffs or not, buttondown or point, and on and on, it's more about simply choosing what one prefers rather than one is right and one is wrong. You interpret my saying this as my advocating an "anything goes" attitude. If you are that narrow minded I guess I will just have to live with some of your comments.

As to "who cares", that was a rhetorical question because I know that there are some here who think that their way is the only correct way and everyone else is wrong. So I know that they care and will argue til doomsday something to the effect that a buttondown collar with a suit signals nothing short than the beginning of the fall of Western civilization. But there are plenty of reasonable folks here also who don't see these things in such black and white. I realize you aren't one of them so why don't you just ignore what I have to say because you aren't going to like it.

Cruiser
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I need to buy 1 or 2 new suits. I generally hope to get 5 years out of my investment, so I want to make sure I am buying at the beginning of a fashion trend as opposed to the end. As such, I believe I should be looking at a 2 button, side vent Jacket with flat front pants with plain bottoms. I understand the flat fronts have been popular for a few years know, so my concern is that it may be time to pants with a single pleat.
Buy what looks best on you. I find 3-button suits look best on me, but I do not rule out 2-button suits altogether when shopping. I will only buy side vents because they are comfortable and look great to me.

I do, however, rule out pleated pants. I like the comfort of pleated pants, but I prefer the style of flat fronts. I have also heard many people throw comments at others who are wearing pleated pants, but I have never heard a negative response towards someone wearing flat fronts. Since you are asking what is in style, I would direct you to flat fronts because of the subsection of the population who will always consider pleated pants to be a ridiculous look.
Flat unless fat.

+1111111111111111!!!

:aportnoy:
:icon_smile_big:
I don't think "we" do. I think "you" do and some others but you aren't everybody.
Look here, people are comming to this forum for advice. The only thing you keep on repeating is that it doesn't matter. This makes you a troll.
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