Tommy Fleetwood wears pleated trousers during the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. Roomier, menswear-inspired silhouettes are experiencing a revival across professional golf tours. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
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In fashion, every fit and look eventually comes back around. From relegation to the sartorial backwaters of retirement-community putting greens and sepia-tinged photographs of golf greats of yore to a newfound popularity among style-conscious golfers, pleated pants are back in vogue.
Nick Watts, product director at Manors, a London-based golf apparel maker that melds traditional golf aesthetics with contemporary streetwear influences, said the company’s “two bestselling trouser styles over the past 12 months both feature double pleats,” noting that caliber of sales performance is a clear indicator that pleats are gaining traction.
“I believe the resurgence of pleated trousers is closely linked to the broader Y2K-inspired sportswear trend and a growing sense of nostalgia for iconic sporting figures,” he added. “Many of golf’s most recognizable personalities used to wear pleated trousers. Also, double pleats naturally create a more relaxed silhouette, offering both comfort and ease of movement.”
Diego Diaz, co-founder and COO of Costa Mesa, California-based Quiet Golf, said the brand’s pleated linen pant and short, launched last year, have been “one of the strongest performers in our bottoms category.”
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – MARCH 08: Travis Smyth of Australia wins the ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship after a six round playoff battle with Jack Thompson of Australia at Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club on March 08, 2026 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
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Putting With Pleats
Beyond sales, Diaz said customers have become “much more open to silhouettes that move away from the slim, flat-front styles that dominated golf apparel for the better part of the last decade.”
He views the shift as part of a broader change in how golfers approach clothing, with apparel increasingly becoming an extension of everyday wardrobes rather than something reserved exclusively for the course.
“From what we’ve seen, the appeal isn’t really about following a trend,” Diaz said. “Customers are responding to the balance of comfort, proportion, and classic style that pleats offer.”
The vibe shift has become noticeable on professional circuits. Tour players such as Jason Day and Min Woo Lee have embraced roomier cuts and more fashion-forward styling, helping reintroduce pleated and relaxed-fit pants to a new generation of golfers.
The return of pleated pants does not necessarily mean a return to the oversized, boxy fits that characterized previous eras. Today’s versions tend to feature cleaner lines, softer tailoring and technical fabrics that retain the performance benefits golfers have come to expect. The result is a middle ground between traditional menswear and contemporary athletic apparel, where comfort and mobility are prioritized without sacrificing style.
While nostalgia and a growing preference for wardrobe versatility help explain the trend, pleated trousers may also be resonating with golfers looking to distinguish themselves from the uniformity of modern performance wear.
“There has been fatigue of looking like a competing athlete on tour,” Michael Huynh, founder and creative director of Students Golf, said. “There should be hues and cues of your taste and identity through the stuff you wear.”
He believes pleated pants are, “a gateway to exploring more possible silhouettes in golf,” adding, “we are noticing Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Travis Smyth are all wearing our stuff.”
That kind of tour validation often filters down to recreational golfers, helping normalize a look that not too long ago might have seemed out of place.
As the tide in golf apparel continues to shift from pure performance wear toward menswear-inspired style, pleated pants appear less like a passing fad and more like a sign of where the game’s aesthetic is headed. Today’s golfers increasingly expect clothing to perform on the course without looking like a costume confined to that very environment.
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