We talk about wardrobe basics as if they’re just white T-shirts , straight-leg jeans , and a button-down shirt. But one look at fashion’s hall of fame—beyond the red carpet—and you’ll see which styles made it through the ebbs and flows, trends and trenches. Take pleated trousers, for example, which have never gone out of style. From Cindy Crawford’s off-duty looks in the ’90s through today’s office staples, pleated pants have always given women an effortlessly put-together edge. A style straight from the menswear playbook, this was not just another chic pair of trousers but a political statement—women forgoing flirty skirts in favor of power pants in the workforce was about as rebellious as a fashion statement could get. Of course, the best pleated trousers don’t just belong in the o
16 Best Pleated Trousers for Women 2025, According to ELLE Editors

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