Q I recently lost some weight and am now down to my waist size from 10 years ago, which means I can fit into some pants I've insisted on holding onto. I'm wondering if they are still in style though. Are cuffs or pleats officially out of style, and will they stand out as outdated?
A Trouser cuffs and pleats are two of the few elements of men's clothing that to some extent do go in and out of style with the times. While neither of these two classic styles is ever totally wrong, still, there are times when the swing of the fashion pendulum makes them more or less current.
These days, the overall look for men is a slim and trim silhouette. This trend has lead to the de-emphasis of any style that adds width and bulk. Thus, pleats have largely disappeared in favor of plain-front trousers and cuffs have become fewer because they, too, add a bit of bulk. This move away from pleats and cuffs is true for suits and casual wear, but it is even more common on casual pants than on suit trousers.
Even so, there are pleats and there are pleats. Some are deep, multiple pleats, and some are small, single pleats. The first are noticeable and contribute to a wider and fuller silhouette, and some are nearly invisible and merely add a touch of comfortable room across the hips and seat.
If your image of yourself is to be a young guy who is a very current dresser, you might want to avoid both cuffs and pleats; but if you are more of a traditionalist, you might want to retain the pleats as well as the cuffs. Also, if you are athletic, your thighs might require a little more room, making a slight pleat a comfortable feature. It is difficult, but not impossible, for a skilled tailor to remove deep pleats from trousers.
On the other hand, it can be a simple alteration to remove cuffs as long as the trouser legs are not too wide. Pants from several years ago were fuller in the leg; today's look is a trimmer leg, with bottoms that are about an inch or so narrower. Turning cuffs up properly on wide-leg trousers requires tapering the entire leg. My recommendation for looking more up-to-date would be to alter the pleats on any trousers you own with multiple deep pleats, but to ignore single pleats. I feel more comfortable with your retaining your cuffs; I happen to like them and feel they give a man's trousers a well-tailored and refined look. Not all men (especially young ones) agree with me.
Keep in mind that these elements show more on some pants than on others. The darker the fabric, the less likely people are to notice, or even see, whether there are pleats or cuffs. On light-colored suits and pants (such as summer tan suits and chinos), these elements are much more apparent. Obviously, on suit trousers or dress pants that you wear with a jacket, the pleats are hardly even seen. So, if you don't want to bother, you could skip repairs on dark pants, but might want to pay more attention to a favorite light summer suit.
If a suit is old enough to have really deep pleats, it probably has other elements that could also make it look out-of-date. For example, suit jackets from eight or 10 years ago are likely to be cut fuller (less fitted) at the waist, have more natural shoulders (less padding), and actually be about an inch or so longer. All this in addition to being much less tapered in the leg than today's look.
Ask yourself: Do you like the garment enough to have it changed to a more current look? And do you know a skilled tailor who is up to doing the job? The seamstress or tailor at your local dry cleaner is usually not prepared for this kind of work. But, if you have a few favorite garments that you care enough about, look for someone who makes custom suits. That person will be able to bring your garment up-to-date so you can continue wearing it and looking your best.
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High Profile on 05/20/2018