Pleats are back in the spotlight becoming an essential stylish detail for trousers. Forget about the slim fit and the essential silhouettes we were used to, now we are going towards a much more comfortable wearability. Fashion system, as it often happens, is ready to steer the other way.

Pleats are back from the brink of extinction, ready to level (and loosen) up your pants rotation. In 2020, if you’re looking to make a statement with your fit, you don’t do it with a slogan tee or a lapel pin—you do it with your trousers.

Why Do Pleated Pants Have a Bad Reputation? The short answer is that they are simply out of style. Because pleats gather extra fabric in the rise area of a pair of pants, below the waist, if too much fabric is added there it can result in unsightly ballooning in the groin area.

According to GQ fashion commentator Yang-Yi Goh, pleats are a “throwback path to right-now cool.” However, today’s fresh take on pleated pants bears little resemblance to the pants your father wore in the 80s or your grandfather wore in the 50s.

Generally speaking the pleat-front trouser is flattering on most body shapes. The thinking was that if he pants fastened above the belly, the pleats would allow room to fall over a rounded tummy unlike a flat-front pant style which would hug the tummy and accentuate it’s roundness.

Fitting in with your Surroundings Dark clothing can also make you look fatter if you wear it in the wrong context! For example, if you wear an overly dark outfit to an outdoor summer party you’re bound to be perceived as bigger than you actually might be.

This means swapping long sleeves, pants and maxi skirts for shorter ones — ankle-cropped pants and jeans; three-quarter, elbow or pushed-up sleeves; and skirts no longer than mid-calf midi. By drawing the eye to the extremities, you create new focal points.