Upgrade your wardrobe with some pleat front trousers for men
It seems that recently on my personal shopping trips for men it’s been all about finding the right trousers.
Things have moved on from skinny and slim, and lots of my clients want to try out new shapes, wider legs, and pleat fronts, but are not sure what to look for, and where to look for them. Some of them also worry they’ll look silly and too ‘try hard” if they go for a different style.
The other thing is, I feel like a lot of guys are just bored with their regular flat front slim fit chinos and want to go for something a bit more upgraded and perhaps a little smarter.
That’s where my inspiration for this post has come from, and I thought it would be helpful to share where I've been shopping for new trousers with my clients recently.
I got these last week with a client (a younger guy) who wanted to smarten up his going out wardrobe and he liked that “old money” look.
These looked amazing on him - they’re quite a wide leg but not so much so, that you’ll feel overwhelmed with fabric. As long as you’re average height or taller, they should work.
We styled them with a soft striped shirt and loafers, ribbed polo knit, and a chambray shirt and trainers and they worked well with everything.
Dark brown straight leg trousers - Suit Supply - £169
This is one of my new favourite pairs of trousers (maybe I should get some for myself?!) which I got with a client recently.
The pleat front really helps give a bit of space if you’ve been maxing out your leg days at the gym and have developed big thighs.
The tapered leg is also flattering for guys who are on the shorter side. A wider leg can look very square and boxy, with the effect of making you look shorter, but you don’t get that with the tapered leg styles.
These are perfect if you want a smarter pair of jeans in a slightly different style from normal.
Tapered fit stretch denim pleat front trousers - Incotex Blue Division at Slowear - £355
I got this style with a client last November in black cord which looked great. This one is in a more summery beige cotton which is perfect for Spring and I predict it could just become your go-to updated chino style!
You might need a chunkier pair of shoes or trainers though to balance the volume…..like these Paraboot ones. We got a similar style in black which went really well with the cord version for winter.
Having said that, some of the sleeker style trainers like Common Projects Achilles or Converse All Stars will still work well, but a thin soled pointed type of shoe won’t!
Beige cotton Tencel loose fit trousers - Wax London - £125
These pleat front flannel ones are another pair I got recently with a client - they looked great on him and his wife said they “really elevated his workwear” without looking too much. (Yay! She also said he went to work with a renewed spring in his step after our shopping trip :-))
I love the flannel but now that Spring is in the air (finally) I’m hoping they’re going to bring a version of these out in cotton too……I’ll try and remember to update this post if they do.
We got a really nice pair of brown boots that looked great with these and a selection of lightweight knits in polo and crew necks, and a couple of smart casual shirts.
We also liked them with smart leather trainers……….much to the horror of the shop assistant who operates strictly in ‘Savile Row land’, not the real world! I’m not really a fan of this impractical Savile Row snobbery, and feel it’s much more realistic for my client to get a lot more wear from his trousers, knowing he can wear them with trainers.
Dark blue flannel pleat front trousers - Cad & The Dandy - £350
This is the only one I haven’t yet seen on anyone. I wanted to include it though, as it’s a narrower leg and tapered fit so I think it'd be good for you if you have a neater physique ie: you’re short and slim.
It gives that modern look with the pleats but you’re not going to be swimming in fabric.
Also for guys with slim leg / hips / bum, I think this is a more flattering style - ones that are too wide are just not going to be your best look. I’ll report back when I’ve been in and tried them with someone.
Navy wool lightweight pleat front trousers - Luca Faloni - £240
Feeling stuck with how you dress but not sure how to move on?
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Ones you’ll actually wear, not pieces that looked great in the shop but back in the real world they feel “too much” somehow.
We’ll level up your wardrobe so it still feels like you……only better. More polished, more put together, more modern.
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Not sure if it’ll work for you - read what this client had to say:
“Sarah is fantastic.
I was worried before going shopping that I wouldn’t enjoy it or it wouldn’t work for me but it was such a success!
Got loads of great clothes and had a great time doing it.
There are lots of little touches that make this a really exceptional experience, like the prep work that Sarah does before hand and the digital app with outfit suggestions that you get afterwards.
Overall Sarah is exceptionally good at what she does and also great company, couldn’t recommend highly enough”
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