The thing nobody mentions about pleated trousers is what happens to the pleats themselves after a few wears. They don't stay crisp and architectural like they are on the hanger. They soften, drop a little, and start to move with you instead of sitting there making a statement. By week three mine had relaxed into something closer to a soft drape at the front, which I actually prefer. The sharp version is nice for about one wear.
In the shop, the thing worth checking is where the pleats start, because that tells you where the fullness sits. High up near the waistband and you get volume right across the stomach and hip, which can be lovely and can also add bulk exactly where you don't want it if the fabric is stiff. Lower pleats, closer to the pocket line, tend to sit flatter on the body and swing more at the leg. Check the waistband too, sitting or bending in the changing room, because a lot of these come with no give at all and dig in the second you sit down for longer than ten minutes.
They don't get on with anything else that's doing a lot of volume up top. A boxy jumper or a blouse with big sleeves on top of pleated trousers and you lose your shape completely, you just become a rectangle with ankles. They want something closer fitting on top, tucked or cropped, so there's a line somewhere on your body. Bulky trainers underneath can also throw the proportion off, especially with a wide leg pleat, the foot disappears and the whole thing looks unfinished.
These earn their place in fairly specific situations, mostly ones where you're sitting down a lot and want to look like you made an effort without wearing anything tight. Office days, longer train journeys, autumn into winter when you want a trouser that photographs well under a coat and doesn't cling in overheated rooms. A good wool blend pleated trouser with boots and a fitted top is one of my more reliable combinations for exactly that stretch of the year.
Where they're wrong is anything active or anything where you need to move fast. Running for a bus, carrying bags up stairs, any day with a lot of walking, the extra fabric just gets in the way and catches on things. And if the fabric is cheap and thin, the pleats won't hold their shape at all, they'll just look like creases you forgot to iron out.
A good pleated trouser is one of the few trousers that lets you sit all day and still look like you tried.
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