Summer Stripes & Pleats with Paul Smith and Original Penguin

     Pleats on pants is a great way to date yourself and bring down an outfit because it has more to do with function rather than substance.  To accomplish a modern look and clean lines, typically we choose slim pants with a flat front.  But in recent years, designers have used the pleat as a design piece rather than a means of comfort for men.

     Rather than the elongated single and double pleats of your dad's pants, the modern pleat is typically singular, smaller, and inverted.  The pleats of yesteryear's pants face outward creating a wider silhouette  but modern pleats face inward bringing the viewers eyes inwards.  It's analogous to how stripes trick the eye, vertical stripes make a person look longer and taller, while horizontal stripes makes a person look shorter and wider.

     The next time you go pants shopping, think about adding some pleats to your wardrobe.

Wardrobe
Pants: Paul Smith
Shirt: Ben Sherman Plectrum
Laptop Sleeve: Hartmann
Shoes: Gucci
Accessories: Panerai, Omega, J Crew, Tateossian