Welcome back, pleated pants: Is the ‘golden age of menswear’ having a renaissance?

Nostalgia is often a driving force in fashion – see: the tidal wave of Y2K comeback trends in recent years – but it seems we’re looking further and further back for inspiration.

Right now, the proof is in the world of menswear, with wardrobe go-tos like jeans and chinos making way for pleated trousers. And if you ask 1940s suit stylist Dirk Fourie (@DirktheCrook), it’s about time they had a renaissance.

The Melbourne content creator says this is part of a broader return to classic men’s tailoring – not to mention the eternal “back and forth” swing in our attitudes to fashion.

“You’re seeing more high-waisted, wider-cut styles with even details like cuffed hems a lot more in the last three years or so,” Fourie tells nine.com.au.

“We’ve had a very minimalist attitude towards menswear and design in general, and I just think it’s time for a change and people are looking for something different.“

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Fourie makes a strong case for revisiting the fashion of bygone decades – scroll through his Instagram, and you’ll witness his dedication to authentic fashion, particularly suiting, from the ’40s and surrounding years.

Some may be quick to dismiss pleated pants as old-fashioned – in the words of one unnamed nine.com.au staffer, “They belong in the ’30s, not now” – but Fourie says we can learn a thing or two from the style of past generations.

“The 1930s and ’40s is seen as the golden age of menswear for a reason. It’s a time where proportions and details all came together to create strong design shapes that go beyond just opinion,” he says.

“Pleats are about functionality, creating space, shape and drape. The no-pleat trouser, of course, also has a place ... some of my old suits from the 1940s actually came with two pairs of trousers, one pleated and one not.”

Adding pleats to trousers is not only functional, with more room around the midline, but also serves an aesthetic purpose.

“If you couple that [added room] with a beautiful crease line, you get a defined line that elongates the legs and also gives them a great shape,” Fourie says.

Still not convinced? There’s also the comfort factor.

“Jeans and chinos are often worn really tight and can feel very uncomfortable and hard to move around in, therefore making them less functional for many men,” Fourie adds.

You might look at a pair of pleated trousers and assume they only work in the context of a suit, or in a professional or formal environment.

Of course, they look great in this context, but rest assured they also have a place in your casual clothing rotation.

“I love wearing pleated trousers with just a shirt, t-shirt or sometimes even just a singlet,” Fourie says.

You can always lean right in to the aesthetic with accessories like braces: “[Y]ou get great lines from the crease, to the pleats, straight up to the braces, therefore creating the illusion of long legs.”

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If you’re unsure what to look for in a pair of pleated pants, Fourie has some tips to ensure a perfect fit.

“I think pleated trousers should go hand in hand with a higher waist, fuller cut, aka baggier fit, and ideally pressed well so you get crisp lines.

“If you do that you’ll get nothing but compliments all day long and feel a lot more comfortable, trust me.”

He prefers a 12-inch rise – that is, the distance from the middle of the crotch seam to the top of the waistband – and says heavier fabrics tend to drape better.

“Go for something 100 per cent wool so it’s nice and breathable as well,” he adds.

Fourie’s interest in throwback fashion and “old suits” can be traced back to Crooks Like Us by Peter Doyle – a book of mugshots taken across inner Sydney during the ’20s.

“Then I also fell in love with old Hollywood and guys like Gary Cooper, Clark Gable and James Stewart.”

He’s so committed to the style, he’s been wearing ’40s suits to his corporate job for the past five years, regularly documenting his outfits for his almost 400,000 Instagram followers.

“Everyone at work is really supportive of me and what I’m doing. I’ve even seen a few starting to take some inspiration and changing their style to lean more classic which makes me extremely happy, of course,” he says.

His suiting obsession is about to reach a new frontier, with Fourie starting to design and manufacture – and, ultimately, sell – his own.

“The pattern is taken from a later 1940s suit I own and is as close to the original shape as you can get. And yes, they are pleated. Double pleated, in fact.”