Can Something Come Back Into Style?

Among the questions that we’re asked every day, one of the most frequent is some form of the following: “Is this trend coming back in style?” 

Depending upon the subject at hand, the answer might not be as clear as one would hope. If you’re asking about Crocs or parachute pants, the response is happily a resounding: “No.” Other clothing styles may require a bit more consideration, as well as the answer to another question: Can something be coming back in style if it never went out of style to begin with? And what does “coming back in style” really mean, anyway?

In recent days, the talk in menswear circles has been that pleated pants are making their way back from the netherworld to which they were banished sometime around the turn of the century. Well, we should have expected that. 

Any time men’s style reaches an extreme – i.e. pants that cannot physically be worn any tighter or lower – there will always be a course correction. Once men started wearing their dress pants like leotards, the fashion gods would soon require a snap back to looser styles with higher waists. 

I can already hear the collective groans of those picturing the tent-like triple pleated khakis favored by their high school guidance counselor. But let’s be honest: That never looked good. Not because they were pleated, but because they fit horribly. The truth is that pleated trousers, like double-breasted jackets, pant cuffs, pinstripes, and so many other menswear staples, were never out of style – they were just momentarily out of fashion.

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.

— Oscar Wilde

Fashion and style are two very different things, as you know. Fashion is fleeting, of the moment, disposable. Style, however, is eternal. 

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months," said Oscar Wilde. And he knew of which he spoke. 

The key thing to remember is that no singular trend looks good on everyone, no matter what’s in fashion. What’s important is finding your own style, whether your preference is a trim flat front trouser or a pleated model with an elegant drape.

Finding a clothier that can help you find your style is vital. At Stitch-It, we’ll not only find the right garments, but we ensure they fit properly, and please believe: a proper fit is one thing that will never go out of style.