The Best Pleated Trousers Brands For Men In 2024

It’s a subtle detail but one that makes a big difference. Although it’s just a simple fold of fabric, a trouser pleat can transform your look, adding a point of difference to your casualwear or further smartening up a suit.

Pleated trousers, on trend now just as they were at various points of the 20th century, are a characterful way to do something different with legwear, which is too often overlooked. But why should you consider pleats over regular, flat-fronted trousers? Here’s everything you need to know about pleated trousers, including the brands that do them best.

What Is A Pleat?

A pleat is essentially just a fold in a piece of fabric. In trousers, they’re generally available in single or double pleats, and come either forward facing (where the fabric fold opens towards the fly) and backward facing (the other way round).

Pleats are used to help shape the trouser, as the excess fabric creates more room around the thigh for added movement, while also maintaining the trouser’s line. Dapper, even a little bit dandy, pleats are often associated with formal tailoring, as they were popular on suit trousers in decades gone by. You’d be hard pressed to find trousers in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s that didn’t have pleats.

As such they can give off a certain elegance that flat-fronted trousers can’t match. They evoke the golden age of Hollywood, harking back to eras in which tailoring was far more popular than it is today.

Why You Should Be Wearing Pleated Trousers

If you’re going for the vintage look, pleated trousers are for you almost by definition. But their functionality makes them suitable for all, and all the more reason to invest.

Those with bigger thighs will find pleated trousers more comfortable and flattering than their regular flat-fronted counterparts. As mentioned, the extra fabric created by the pleats ensures more room for movement, while maintaining the trouser’s silhouette. So if you’re looking for a smart pair of pants that won’t cling to your legs, pleats could be the way to go.

While they are rooted in vintage tailoring, many brands today have subverted pleated trousers’ somewhat stuffy, old-fashioned connotations. In line with the trend for wider legged trousers, pleated pants have become popular with more contemporary brands including Noah, Carhartt and Cos. As such, if you’re looking to switch up your casualwear, or you just fancy trying something different, you’re in the right place.

Buying Considerations

Casual vs Formal

The style of pleated trouser you go for can have a defining effect on your overall look. Traditional, high-waisted, double-pleated suit trousers will, of course, give a more formal impression compared to more laid-back pleated chinos.

While pleated trousers are often associated with smart dressing, it’s entirely possible to wear them casually. There are just a few details you need to consider. Single-pleated trousers are far easier to dress down than double pleats. Also look out for trousers cut with a more relaxed mid-rise, as high-rise cuts lend themselves better to tailoring.

Other details to look out for include belt loops – or lack thereof – as well as cuffs. Trousers without belt loops are inherently more formal, as they give a cleaner, more streamlined aesthetic that’s perfect for tailoring. Cuffs also indicate the trousers are on the smarter end of the spectrum, so if you want a more laid-back look, avoid them.

Fabric

Depending on what you’re going for, fabric will play a big part in how you’ll style and wear pleated trousers. As always, flatter fabrics such as worsted wools will be far smarter than rougher, textured fabrics. If you’re after a seriously sharp pair of pleated trousers, perhaps as part of a suit, then you could do worse than seek out navy or grey tropical wool.

If you want to add a pair of pleated pants to your casualwear rotation though, options abound. For warmer months, upgrade your regular chinos with some pleats and opt for a cotton pair in stone or navy. The pleats will add a point of difference to your look, elevating your trousers while also offering a more flattering silhouette compared with regular chinos.

The colder months are when things get interesting though. Corduroy trousers are almost always better with pleats, as they contrast well with the casual nature of the rugged fabric, smartening it up a little. Look for a pair in deep green, rich blue, tan or dark brown and you’ll have a pair that combines perfectly with chunky knitwear and workwear-inspired outerwear. Elsewhere, pleated trousers work especially well in heavier, herringbone or micro houndstooth wool, as well as heavyweight cotton.

Cut

Pleated trousers work best when they’re cut in a certain way. The rise should be high enough to sit on or slightly above the hips, which allows the pleats to fall clearly, with a sharp vertical line when standing still. This is a flattering look, which can give the impression of a slimmer waist, while also elongating the legs, making you look taller. Pleated trousers simply don’t work in lower rise styles, as the crotch becomes too baggy making them look sloppy and the wearer far shorter than they actually are.

The trousers should also have a relaxed fit through the thigh, which tapers gently to the ankle. If pleated trousers are too slim, the pleats will open up, defeating their purpose and creating an unflattering pulling of fabric. When relaxed and tapered, the trousers create shape in the way a well tailored blazer does. They don’t hug the body, but rather complement its natural lines and movement.

The Best Pleated Trouser Brands

Luca Faloni

Tailored pleated pants have long been a cornerstone of the relaxed elegance that typifies Italian menswear. So labels like Luca Faloni are a great place to stock up.

The brand offers a modern take on sprezzatura. That’s evident in in the discrete elasticated waistband which brings added comfort to tailored midweight trousers in classic shades.

Shop now at Luca Faloni

Velasca

Milanese label Velasca has one of the best collections of pleated trousers that we’ve seen. They come in single and double pleats, and styles for every season. Lightweight linen options (as well as pleated Bermuda shorts) are breathable for summer, smart wool trousers work through the winter and there are also pleated chinos that you can wear year-round.

Good materials, staple colours and impressive prices round out what is a very good offer.

Shop now at Velasca

Artknit

Soft and slouchy but still tailored, Artknit’s pleated pants remind us a little of classic Armani. Crafted in premium, certified materials like merino wool and a nice linen twill, they’ll work dressed up with a shirt and jacket or down with a vest and open shirt.

The Italian label is a certified B-Corp so its green credentials are fully rubber-stamped. Similarly, its design ethos leans classic, so you know you’ll wear these pants for years.

Shop now at Artknit

LESTRANGE

Lots of menswear brands say they do brilliant basics. London label LESTRANGE lives up to the claim with thoughtfully designed takes on cool, everyday menswear. Its 24 trouser, which comes in pleated options, is designed to combine the comfort of a sweatpant with the sharp lines of a tailored trouser, a hidden elasticated waistband offering some much-appreciated give when you need it.

It’s another certified B-Corp, too. The materials, like merino wool, are natural, well sourced and easily compostable. The brand also offers a repair service to help you get the most from your essentials.

Shop now at LESTRANGE

Reiss

For refined menswear classics with a luxurious edge, Reiss is hard to beat. We’d recommend paying it a visit if you’re after tailored pleated trousers that are perfect for smarter occasions. The British brand’s single-pleated styles are ideal for wearing as separates – simply combine with a complementary blazer and a turtleneck and you’ve got yourself a failsafe winter look.

Shop now at Reiss

Closed

Easy to wear and crafted from luxurious fabrics including a technical Italian twill, Closed pleated trousers are some of the best at their price range. They’re sustainably made and versatile too – look for dark colours which can effortlessly combine with your existing wardrobe, this season and beyond.

Shop now at Closed