This may sound a bit trivial, but it is significant for me. I’ll explain:

If you were to ask Crystal one of the reasons she didn’t date me in high school, she would tell you it was because I wore pleated pants.

Thankfully, God helped her overcome that folded obstacle and marry me. However, this issue has continued to be a source of no little tension (albeit playful) in our relationship. I still own a pair of pleated Dockers khaki slacks which about make her gag.

The tension came to a head on Saturday when we were getting ready to go to a wedding. She had asked my advice on an outfit she should wear, and I gave it while wearing the aforementioned pleated wonders. She then gave me her unsolicited council about what I should do with my pants…like, throw them in the trash or something.

This comment spurred a string of playful banter on the inherent goodness and evil of pleated pants. The highlight of the exchange was a dueling parody of “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid (”Flippin’ your pleats you won’t get too far…”)

I wore the pants to the wedding, and we brought up the issue with a couple we sat next to. I pointed out that the husband was himself wearing pleated pants. Little did I know that I was about to embark into uncharted territory….

For the majority of my adult years (and perhaps longer), I thought pleated pants were pants that had a crease down the middle. Oh no. According to Wikipedia, a pleat is “a type of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place. It is commonly used in clothing and upholstery to gather a wide piece of fabric to a narrower circumference.”

All this time, I thought Crystal’s problem with my nerdy wardrobe was the crease down the middle of my pants. This could not have been further from the truth. Her problem was and is the bunched up and folded fabric around my waistline.

The effects of this revelation have been almost Copernican for me.

But it still doesn’t settle the issue entirely for me. I’m not convinced that pleats are altogether bad in a pair of dress pants. Crystal is sure almost all women disdain them.

So here is the question: Ladies, do you prefer pleated or flat-front in men’s fashion? Fellas, do you have anything to say in my defense?