Chic Critique: You're wearing pleats wrong - here's how to to get it right

Pleats are the flirty, fun style fashion loves, but H! Fashion's Tania Leslau has reservations

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Fashion features writer

2 minutes agoDec 22, 2024, 9:00 AM GMT

Pleats have been around forever, the ancient Egypt kind of forever, yet they remain fashion’s preppiest love affair.

Issey Miyake turned pleats into a modern marvel with his ‘Pleats Please’ line, giving us clothes that move like a dream and never wrinkle (thank you, science). Then there’s Miu Miu, making pleats rebellious, flipping them into cheeky skirts that exude ‘good girl gone bad’ vibes via a dash of naughty school girl sass. Industry icons Emma Corrin, Dua Lipa and FKA Twigs are notable fans.

The design’s charming ability to flit and flutter as one walks established the skirts as a runway staple. Modern, sexy and impish in the extreme, the micro silhouettes peppered the collections of high fashion houses, including Celine, Erdem, Rokh and JW Anderson. The Regina George of skirts except people actually like her.

Brands such as Chopova Lowena took the silhouette and injected it with punkish edge, producing their signature Carabiner skirts which became a staple of London Fashion Week goers’ and editors ‘wardrobes alike.

Featuring mismatched tartan swatches tied together with a chunky black leather belt and dotted with kitsch charms, these sell-out styles put pleats on a pedestal, targeting an edgier, counterculture audience.

Overall, 2024 proved to be the year of the pleats. Tenniscore, served up by Luca Guadingnino’s hit film Challengers, saw stars including Zendaya embrace the courtside aesthetic, spotlighting tennis whites including the not-so-humble pleat. The anticipation surrounding Challengers sparked a notable surge in interest for tennis-inspired outfits, evidenced by a 75 per cent increase in searches for 'tennis outfit' over the summer on Pinterest.

So why, if they remain so popular and so coveted by the luxury world, are we still going wrong with pleats? I’ll explain.

Miu Miu popularised the pleated skirt from 2023-2024

Pleated skirts have the ability to look disastrously tacky. More so than your average skirt.

The material is key here. Cheap, synthetic fabrics ruin the fluid movement of high-quality, heavyweight pleats that effortlessly dance around your thighs as you stroll. Instead of the graceful, almost slow-motion bounce that fine pleating delivers, you're stuck with flimsy polyester that’s prone to blowing up at the slightest breeze - turning Tube rides and windy winter days into a flash-prone nightmare.

Unless you’re Serena Williams and need the aerodynamism of an authentic tennis skirt, there’s no excuse to opt for lightweight pleats. We’re talking high street options in metallic colourways with elasticated waistbands. It’s a no from me.

I want wool. I want heavy-duty, kilt-like weighty wool that says ‘I’m traditional but still a big fat flirt.’ Timeless, affordable (there are some stellar vintage options) and polyester-free, these adorable skirts are both kittenish and conservative in equal measure. Perfect for days in the office and nights out on the town.

So, while I save up for my dream Issey (the only way to wear synthetic pleats), I’ll be banging the drum for woolen pleated minis, midis and maxis, well-crafted, well-styled and well-regarded in the canon of history.

How to wear pleated skirts:

model wearing a modest midi length and a cute knit — With a modest midi length and a cute knit

model with a heavyweight layered style and a bomber — With a heavyweight layered style and a bomber

model wearing a 90s double denim look — With a 90s double denim twist

model in pleated skirt — With a sportswear edge and asymmetrical hem

How I would style a pleated skirt:

TOP: Embellished Bardot Jumper, £247, SELF-PORTRAIT
SKIRT: Chopova Lowena Connie Mini Skirt, £1,243, FARFETCH
NECKLACE: Heart Charm Necklace, £460, ACNE STUDIOS
SHOES: Hermine Shoes, £110, VAGABOND

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