The latest Esquire tells me trouser pleats are back

I am not sure I care, except I am sure that the pleated slacks I have are probably going to look out of style against whatever the current pleated look is--apparently single pleats, as far as I can tell.

I have not seen it yet, but I am sure I will soon see written that pleats are slimming, just as I read about flat fronts when they came "back in," and as I read about pleats the time they came back in before that.

I suppose we will also be reading that cuffs are not necessary with pleats.

I guess, overall, I am most comfortable dressing as if I were going to Princeton in 1957. Or maybe more Brown circa the same year. Flat fronts, cuffs, and cut a little too high at the ankles, although the latter is something that has really come back for me. Not something I have been wearing for decades!

Let me know when bell bottoms and platform shoes come back in.

Been waiting a while but OH NO... pleated pants get the call first.

Let me know when bell bottoms and platform shoes come back in. Been waiting a while but OH NO... pleated pants get the call first.

The Knize said:

...I guess, overall, I am most comfortable dressing as if I were going to Princeton in 1957...

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Ha! My brother was at Princeton then! And I still dress about the same: khakis without pleats or cuffs, straight cuff jeans, button down shirts, penny loafers and saddle shoes, blue blazers, tweed jackets, regimental stripe ties...

sorry but the dupe. Site having hiccups. Will get back and clean up the dupe and this post. No need to tell me. I already know

I do not do saddle shoes--dirty bucks, yes. Also, I do not wear white socks with Weejuns, event though I realize that was a prep style in the 1950s, too. I like my khakis with cuffs, no pleats, just like any slacks. I like my jeans (Levis) with a little roll at the bottoms. I think rolling bottoms of Levis has come and gone over the years. I do not think I would be wearing jeans at Princeton in 1957 though. Or even at Brown.

I do not think bell bottoms are ever coming back, much less platform shoes. Bell bottoms are an interesting thing. As far as I can remember or otherwise tell, bell bottoms were fashionably on in one extended time frame--first with Brit bands, then with the freaks, then with disco folks, the latter taking it from street style of pimps, etc. Platform shoes, of course, directly from the latter, as far as I can tell.

I do not think very high-waisted slacks are coming back either, but who knows. That seems to have been a 1930s, maybe 40s, thing.

I never went for the flat front thing. I just ain't that fashiony.

My wife will disagree. Maybe double-breasted jackets and shoulders pads are back in too.

Oh, I'll bet some variation on bell bottoms, etc. will come back at some point. Actually, bell bottoms were very much in fashion in the flapper/shiek era of the 1920's-'30's. I haven't worn white sock with leather shoes in a LOOOOONG time (in spite of the Michael Jackson era) and you are right about jeans: they were considered working class clothes back in the '50's and would never have been worn in preppy circles back then. In fact, my parents would not permit me to own any jeans until the early 1960's, when they compromised and let me get wheat colored jeans. I didn't own any blue jeans until I started college in the early 1960's and started buying, or at least selecting, my own clothes.

TexLaw said:

I never went for the flat front thing. I just ain't that fashiony.

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I bet there was a time when all you could find to buy were pleats. Then recently, I bet, for a very short time this time, everything for sale was flat front.

Like three button suits. For a while there it seemed like the only suits on the racks were three button. Now, to the extent I am keeping up, the only suits on the racks are two button.

<I haven't worn white sock with leather shoes in a LOOOOONG time (in spite of the Michael Jackson era)>

You would have had to make your white socks glittery, for MJ purposes. Actually, I think that was a genius look for MJ. Sparkly while socks with black, I assume patent leather, shoes, with high water slacks. Attracted attention to his feet for every possible reasons, including discordant themes with current fashion.

<Actually, bell bottoms were very much in fashion in the flapper/shiek era of the 1920's-'30's.>

I had no idea!

<they compromised and let me get wheat colored jeans>

Yeah. That was interesting. White jeans, and even black jeans, were seen as more proper than blue jeans. I think my high school for a long time banned blue jeans, but other colors of jeans were okay. Heck I think my kids elementary school banned jeans for a while, except black jeans were okay.

I meant to say earlier that it is only recently that I am back to wearing jeans. I seemed to be all khakis for years. I am not sure why. I kind of worn out all of my old jeans and was not sure what to buy in the mid 2010s, I guess.

"Style" means looking good.

"Fashion" means finding a way to make everyone buy new clothes again and again, even though the old ones haven't worn out yet.

01HDFXD said:

Oh, I'll bet some variation on bell bottoms, etc. will come back at some point. Actually, bell bottoms were very much in fashion in the flapper/shiek era of the 1920's-'30's. I

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I made a set of totally outrageous bell bottoms in the early 60's as part of a "performing costume" I wore when playing in a band (music thing).

Slit a pair of tight fitting Levis on the outside from the knee down and sewed in some outrageously wild, blue, red, and yellow paisley material. When I walked it looked like I was wearing a skirt (from the knees down anyway).

I guess it was a adolescent attempt to mock a kilt.

I'll be damned if I ever let Esquire or GQ tell me what to wear

captp said:

I'll be damned if I ever let Esquire or GQ tell me what to wear

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I'm with you on that one.

No pleats for me, thank you very much!

captp said:

I'll be damned if I ever let Esquire or GQ tell me what to wear

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Basically yes. Besides, if you dress well (not fashionably... just well) and look confident, you're pretty much set. Confidence is timeless.

I'm waiting for parachute pants to come back

Rockminer said:

I'm waiting for parachute pants to come back

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And slap ruler bracelets. And band Ts, obviously.

Rockminer said:

I'm waiting for parachute pants to come back

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Can't touch that