To Pleat or not to Pleat
 

Just a quick question here. I'm about to get a couple pair of pants and was wondering what everyone's thoughts were as far as getting pants with Pleats or No Pleats and perhaps why????
Thanks Mike

It is a matter of personal style (IMHO)
 

I, too have the same concerns and after looking at photos of other umps in action and the offerings from the various suppliers I have decided to pleat as a matter of personal style. It does not matter as long as they fit well. Just make sure they are high quality not dockers or haggars or some other department store trousers.

To be blunt, it depends how fat you are! I wear pleats because I am a tad overweight. Non-pleated pants look better on young, slender bucks - not on old, fat farts (like most of us veterans)!

AAAHHH that hurts. But you are correct. I would consider myself pleasntly plump. 5.9" 194 lbs.

That doesn't make any sense, you stated why you shouldn't wear the pleats, but you wear them anyway! No pleats for me, 6', 230 lbs. Fecheimer base or plate pants only.

I wear pleated pants and I am not overweight. I think they look better and they are more comfortable. Non-pleats look more old fashion to me. It really is a personal choice in the end. I do not think it matters either way as long as they look good on you.

Peace

At 53 I'm not a young buck, but I am 5'10" and 150 pounds so I do qualify as slender. I wear pleated pants on the field because I like a little extra room and I find pleated pants more comfortable.

I've heard that some associations dictate flat front pants. Ours does not. It's mostly our local "old-timers" who stay with the flat front pants. They say it’s a more traditional look. But I've seen a few umpires wearing flat front pants who need to switch to pleated pants, buy some new flat front pants that are a size or two larger, or find a tailor who can "let out" a little extra room in the seat. I think flat front pants show if someone is sized challenged a little more than pleated pants.

When it comes to "street dress" I usually wear flat front pants. Flat front pants in general are getting more difficult to locate even in some of the more "upscale" mens shops I frequent. In Dover, "upscale" is something better than Walmart.

I wear pleats and I am not a skinny guy. But I don't wear them to look thinner or anything like that -- I wear them simply cause I like the look better. I wear pleats in baseball and basketball.

3300 posts makes me a semi-regular? :p

Prunes make me semi-regular. Who is "Andy", by the way?

I also prefer pleats at 6'3" and 180lbs. I find flat front pants allow "other things" to be a little more out there than I would like on a baseball diamond especially with a cup underneath.